


Two Halves of a Greater Whole

by Swordmaster9000



Series: Chronicles of Awakening [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Clean Language, F/M, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Will Go Down With This Ship, nothing dirty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-05-14
Packaged: 2018-03-10 14:24:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 56
Words: 70,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3293687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swordmaster9000/pseuds/Swordmaster9000
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robin doesn't remember anything about her past, but she has decided to continue moving forward with her life after being found in a spacious field by Chrom, commander of the Shepherds and prince of Ylisse. She becomes Chrom's second-in-command and the chief tactician of the army as the war between Ylisse and Plegia rises. Little did she know how much Chrom would mean to her and how much she would mean to him. Join them and the rest of the Shepherds as they go through love and war, risking it all for the bonds they have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Premonition: Invisible Ties

The first thing she remembered was fighting, and lots of it.

Robin was standing in the middle of what seemed to be a mixture between a throne room and a cathedral. Tome in hand, she could tell the battle had already begun. A male figure beside her began to dash towards the target, grunting in violent fury. A white cape was draped around his shoulders as it lagged behind him. His sword, though interesting in shape and overall design, was ready to pierce its target, a dark-skinned, tall, wicked-looking man with mage's robes decorated in a strange yet sinister pattern.

Robin could see the enemy was prepared for the other man's attack. A distinguishable feature of the man with the unique sword was his navy blue hair. Robin couldn't recall seeing hair that blue before, especially on a young man such as this one. However, she realized that when this lord went up to strike his opponent, the enemy quickly dodged two slashes of the sword and blocked the third with magic from a tome in the opposite hand. _Focus!_ she warned herself. The young man struggled to gain the upper hand, so Robin felt the need to prepare for an attack.  


Clenching her left fist and reciting a magic enchantment from the Thoron tome in her right hand. The light in her hand began to glow stronger, but the two men were free of each other's attacks and the enemy was striking. The navy-haired hero tucked and rolled forward to avoid the effects of the dark magic blast, though the blast still left an aftermath that barely missed its target. The young man quickly looked up, pointing his sword in the direction he looked. 

"Up there!" he called out to Robin, who in turn looked up and saw the enemy awaiting his magic to be fully charged while in midair. 

Not given much time to think or calculate any of the rest of the battle, the girl quickly leaped out of the way, knowing she wouldn't land on her feet, but being able to shoot the fully-charged Thoron bolt from her hand calmed her nerves ever so slightly. The bolt raced at its target as it escaped the hand of its caster, though it missed. The enemy had teleported out of Robin's range and back onto the ground, where it targeted the young man. Dashing towards him with an electrifying current, the enemy cornered the navy hero into the wall. Pieces of rock broke off and scattered as the young man struggled to his feet, gripping his sword and using it as a force to keep him steady.

The dark man laughed, shooting a blazing purple electric bolt at Robin's injured comrade. She wouldn't let that happen. Inside her, she felt an obligation to protect this man at any costs, and so she would.

Instead of it hitting the intended target, Robin stood up and forced the purple bolt to explode in its place as she shot another Thoron bolt to halt its movement. The resultant white light filled the room, blinding Robin. When she finally was able to see again, she was on the ground and the dark-skinned man stood and gave her a look mixed with disgust and fascination. Now that the riotous battle had calmed down, the young female could see the face of this man. His face was long, covered with black hair on the top and a sinister goatee on his chin. A widow's peak separated his hair from his dark skin. Robin could see a streak of silver hair on the man's facial hair, giving her an increasing sense of insecurity because of this man's menacing scowl. His eyes, however, conveyed a sense of pure evil and malice, unsettling her nerves even further.

"This is it!" the young man cried out to Robin. "Our final battle! You're one of us, Robin, and no 'destiny' can change that. Now let's kill this dastard and be done with it!"

Robin's memory must have been fuzzy because she couldn't really remember any "us" regarding any of her relationships. In fact, she couldn't really remember any relationships she had. She couldn't remember the name of the young man she fought side by side with. _How pathetic_ , she scolded herself. It was as though this experience wasn't real. It seemed more like a memory that had been buried and never awakened until now.

Regardless of her inner thoughts, she nodded her head at her partner in understanding. He turned from looking at her to focusing on the battle at hand. It seemed strange according to Robin, the way he had looked at her. She could tell that he genuinely cared for her, and it felt as though there was a similar feeling within her heart that conveyed the same message through her given expression towards him. 

The young woman lightly shook her head, the hood of her dark robes, indicative of her tactician status,  still covering her head. "Let's go!" she called out to her partner. She charged at the villain in the center of the room, standing near an alter with a seemingly evil purpose, though Robin couldn't deduce what it was for. Though it bothered her that she couldn't be sure of all of her surroundings, she could bring down this villain without having to worry about it. The young man followed suit and followed her lead, charging after the dark man. 

It was strange; Robin could feel a strong bond between the two of them. It was as if this bond gave her the drive, the courage, to press forward and end this battle. Getting her tome ready, she charged it one last time to finish this battle off. While the man slashed his mighty sword at the foe, Robin released the power developing in her hand, ending the battle permanently.

The dark stranger fell to his knees, slowly disintegrating into the darkness as he fell on his stomach. The young male turned and gave Robin a smile filled with relief and hope, though this happiness was short lived.

"This isn't over," Robin could hear the dark voice filling the air. The mass of dark energy formed from the death of the enemy flew towards the blue-haired man, aiming to kill him. "Curse you both!" 

Robin quickly pushed her friend out of the way without even thinking, taking the blow instead. She couldn't understand why she was acting so selfless for this man, but she could still feel a strong sense of duty and friendship between the two of them that compelled her to protect him. Though she could still feel all of her muscles and nerves while on the ground because she could feel the pain of the blow and the pain of her impact on the ground, something didn't feel too right. The villain was gone and all that was left were the two companions. 

The young man rushed over towards his nearly unconscious friend, still believing her to be perfectly normal. His panted breaths could be heard from many feet away which hinted at his increased exhaustion. "Are you alright?" he questioned worriedly. 

As soon as he saw Robin's eyes flicker, he gave a quick smile. "That's the end of him," he announced, looking over at where the enemy used to be. He helped pull up his friend's back in order for her to sit up. "Thanks to you, we carried the day. We can rest easy now."

Oh to know how bittersweet those words would be.

Robin saw him look over at her with a giant smile. She, too, wanted to smile, but the pain fluctuating through her body prevented her from performing many basic actions without assistance. She moved her leg, but felt a sudden sensation completely unknown to her. Her vision became somewhat blurred in red, with a voice speaking inside of her head.

"At long last," it stated in a deep masculine voice. Robin turned her gaze towards the young man, who could see the change in her demeanor. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked with a slight tremor of worry in his voice. Robin's vision continued to grow a deep red. "Hey, hey look!" 

Suddenly the young man gasped in pain and shock. His eyes widened with the increasing pain and knowledge of his untimely fate. He looked down to see he had been attacked by what seemed to be his closest and dearest friend. Embedded in his upper abdomen was a physical bolt of lightning, forged by the power of Robin and her tome. He struggled back. Robin could hear the sound of a heart beating, but couldn't tell whether it was her frightened heart or her friend's dying heart. She couldn't believe what she had done. It's as if she had no control over her own body. She looked over at her right hand. Remnants of electricity from Thoron resided in her hand, increasing her fear because she knew without a doubt that she had caused her friend to die.

With his dying breath, the blue-haired man attempted to calm his companion. "This is not your...your fault," he managed to stutter. Sweat dripped from the side of his face. "Promise me...you'll escape from this place. Please...go..." After his final word, he quickly collapsed onto his knees and then onto the cold stone ground. 

"Oh, gods," Robin muttered in terror, attempting to hold back tears while holding her trembling hands to her face. "What have I done?"

She could hear the voice from her head laughing sadistically, pleased with his puppet's actions. Her friend was dead, but it was as if he had taken half of her heart with him. The agony she felt over this loss was like no other.

"Chrom, no!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! This is the first chapter of my fanfiction revolving around Chrom and Female Avatar (named Robin). It's going to be kind of long since I'll try to include things from all the chapters of FE: Awakening. I'm a very clean person, so no bad language here and they will be substituted for cleaner language for younger audiences or people who just don't want curse words (tough if you don't like it).  
> I will use a lot of dialogue from the game and I'll take creative liberty on the rest. This will be in 3rd person, so you can see all of the jittery goodness floating in the stomachs of our heroes.  
> Feel free to leave CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Hope you enjoy and a lot of my other favorite pairings will be mentioned throughout the story.  
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fire Emblem: Awakening nor its characters. This is purely fanfiction based on the game by Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.


	2. The Verge of History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin now wakes up in the spacious grassy field with a familiar face, though she can't remember where she met this blue-haired young man. She assumes what she saw before was just a dream as it is fading from her memory. But as she regains consciousness, Robin realizes she cannot remember anything from her past. This young man, Chrom, and his younger sister, Lissa, must help her regain any sense of identity she may have had before while Frederick, Chrom and Lissa's guardian and dutiful knight, has his doubts on the intentions of this mysterious stranger.

"Chrom, we  _have_  to do  _something_."

Robin barely started to regain consciousness when she heard the light and childishly feminine voice. She could feel a massive headache coming on as she lay on her back, but attempted to open her eyes regardless. Warm, fresh grass could be felt below her body. A field? she wondered. The young woman couldn't be absolutely sure, but deductive reasoning would have that as the answer. She tried to move her hand to feel the grass, but all she could do was move it like a twitch.

"What do you propose we do?" a vaguely familiar and deeply masculine voice responded. 

"I...I don't know," the girl replied with a hint of worry in her voice. 

As Robin opened her eyes, light blinded her temporarily. However, as soon as the blinding light dissipated, two figures stood above her, looking at each other with concern. As soon as they looked back at the semi-conscious girl and realized her open eyes, their focus was fixed on her. 

"I see you're awake now," the male voice told Robin. Her eyes looked over at him and all sorts of thoughts began to flow through her mind. Blue hair swept around his face, white cape draped over his shoulders, shoulder armor on his left side, an intricate sword on that side as well. Robin felt a sense of familiarity and warmth from seeing him, but she couldn't figure out why. 

"Hey there," the other girl said, smiling awkwardly, yet politely. She had two blonde ponytails, the rest of her head covered in intricate lace where it fell down the side of her face. A brown leather bodice-like piece of clothing covered her yellow dress and tightened her body, leaving the white shirt covering her chest exposed. Her blue-gray eyes squinted with her childish smile.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know," the young man told Robin, leaving a little hint of sarcastic ridicule, but all in good fun. "Give me your hand." He extended his hand, covered in a brown glove down his wrist, towards the young lady. Robin, following suit, lifting up her tired arm and placing her hand in his. She noticed her hand had a strange looking tattoo-like marking on the back of it. She had no idea where that came from or why it was there, but she focus quickly shifted from the mark to the man pulling her up. She nearly fell because of her lost focus and the young man's strength. 

Once pulled up to her feet, Robin was literally two inches away from the young man's face. She could feel her heart skip a beat after looking at his eyes, his deep blue eyes. He gave a comforting smile as if assuring the young woman that she would be okay.

 _Gods, he's handsome_ , she marveled, to which she quickly blushed at the thought. Oh gods, what if this young man could see her blush? Thankfully his expression didn't change, so Robin could assume that he was of the oblivious sort.

"You alright?" he asked. His question made Robin's stomach churn with embarrassment. Maybe he did notice.

"Y-yes... Thank you, Chrom," she managed to spout out with hardly any thought.

"Ah, then you know who I am?" the man replied, addressed as Chrom, raising his brow. 

"No, actually, I..." Robin began. She paused for a moment, trying to regain her thoughts. How did she know his name? "It's strange... Your name, it just...came to me."

Chrom tilted his head while intrigued at Robin's seemingly magical ability. "...Hmm, how curious. Tell me, what's your name? What brings you here?"

As simple as those questions were, Robin couldn't answer them with as much directness. "My name is..." she struggled. "It's... Hmm..." She became a little frustrated with herself; not knowing who she was or why she was there completely ruined any sense of identity she may have possessed at one point. 

"You don't know your own name?" Chrom's interest in this woman began to grow. She certainly was a peculiar sort; Chrom had never seen a woman quite like her before. Silver hair like starlight wrapped in two ponytails and thrown to the back of her head and unique hazel-gray eyes were the main aspects of her appearance. She wore long, dark purple robes, similar to one a mage would wear, except it also resembled a cloak. Near her neck was a string that held both sides of the cloak together and that's what kept it firmly around her body. A creamy colored v-neck hid behind the cloak and two belts were wrapped around her waist to keep a small black skirt in place. The modesty of her legs was covered with a pair of loose white pants with a dark line running through the middle of each pant leg. Brown boots clenched her calves, but lightened up when they reached her knees. The young man couldn't deduce this mysterious woman's profession by looking at her manner of dress, but he soon realized that he was staring at her, lost in thought, and quickly switched his attention to Robin. She seemed very pretty. He hoped she didn't notice. 

"I'm not sure if..." she trailed off, looking to the left and right. "I'm sorry, but where am I, exactly?"

"Hey, I've heard of this!" the young girl beside him called out. Robin turned her attention to her. "It's called amnesia!"

"It's called a load of pegasus dung," a new character added. The young amnesiac nearly jumped out of her boots when the man behind Chrom and the girl stepped forward. Blue armor covered his body, though not as bulky as a true knight's armor. His head was topped with messy brown hair and a scowling face seemed to pierce Robin's soul. "We're to believe you remember milord's name, but not your own?"

"B-but it's the truth!" Robin argued. She could see why she was being interrogated, but that did not ease her added discomfort with this man in her presence. 

Chrom paused. "...What if it _is_ true, Frederick?" he directed at his suspicious comrade. "We can't just leave her here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?" Robin, though her head was still filled with many unanswered questions, was grateful that this Chrom character would be so kind into helping a suspicious stranger.

"Just the same, milord," Frederick replied, unfazed by his lord's comments. "I must emphasize caution. 'Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock."

"Right then--we'll take her back to town and sort this out there."

"Wait just a moment!" Robin cried out in shock. "Do I have a say in this?" The conversation revolved around her and yet she didn't feel a part of any of it. 

"Peace, friend," Chrom said calmly, but a little surprised at Robin's sudden outburst of attitude. "I promise we'll hear all you have to say back in town. Now come."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After walking for what seemed like hours to the nearest town, the party of four finally stopped for a break to talk.

"What will you do with me?" Robin asked, quite dejectedly. She looked at the ground, refusing to make any eye contact with any of them out of sorrow. "Am I to be your prisoner?"

"Hah!" Chrom chuckled. "You'll be free to go once we establish you're no enemy of Ylisse."

"Is that where we are? Ylisse?"

"You've never heard of the halidom?" Frederick replied, still hinted with suspicion and distrust. "Ha! Someone pay this actress. She plays quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing..."

"Frederick, please," Chrom pleaded. He turned back over to Robin. "This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the exalt. I suppose proper introductions are in order... My name is Chrom--but then, you already knew that. The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa." 

 _So that's why she's with Chrom_ , Robin thought. She could feel a sense of relief knowing that she wasn't in a romantic situation with Chrom, but why was she thinking something like that? Why would she feel relief? 

"I am NOT delicate! ...Hmph!" Lissa grunted. "Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes. But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!"

"Shepherds?" Robin wondered aloud. "You tend sheep? ...In full armor?"

"Heh, it's a dangerous job," Chrom said. "Just ask Frederick the Wary here."

"A title I shall wear with pride," the knight bowed graciously. "Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise."

"I understand, sir. I would do no less myself. My name is Robin." The young woman paused. "...I just remembered that. How odd. I supposed that's one mystery solved."

"Robin?" Chrom remarked. "Is that foreign? ...Ah, well. We can discuss it later. We're almost to town. Once we--"

"Chrom, look! The town!" Lissa cried out, pointing over to the smoke that rose into the air.

"Curses! The town is ablaze!" Chrom retaliated. "Those blasted brigands, no doubt... Frederick! Lissa! Quickly!" 

"What about her?" Frederick asked his lord, shifting his head to the left where Robin stood. 

"Unless she's on fire as well, it can wait!"

"Aptly put, milord."

"Let's go already!" Lissa cried out.

The trio began to rush towards the burning town up ahead, leaving Robin all by herself. 

"But what about--" she cried out with her arm extended, as if she would be able to grab one of them before they bolted off. "Hmm..." She thought about a strategical advancement and knew just the plan. 

Robin ran after them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all!  
> Yes yes, I know this chapter seemed kind of long and boring, but I'm also setting up the stage, so to speak, for the rest of the Robin x Chrom action. I worked for hours on this chapter, so I don't enjoy it that much, either. I can feel my creative juices being quenched by the cannon material! Jk jk, but seriously, don't worry about much more explanatory chapters or detailed battle chapters...unless you want that kind of stuff. After the first few chapters are done, I'll skip some battle and story details (I'll summarize them in a few sentences) and go straight to the relationship stuffs.  
> Feel free to leave comments and if you do put criticism, please have it be CONSTRUCTIVE. I have feels, too.


	3. Versus the Bandits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that they've been introduced to each other, Chrom and Robin have their first battle together. Brigands show up to destroy the town and the four group members have to protect it. While battling, Robin remembers her abilities as a sword user, a magic user, and a tactician. Teaming up with the other members of the Shepherds, she helps take down Garrick, the bandit leader, and helps rescue the town. Her relationship with Chrom (and the others) begins to grow into a blooming friendship. Little do they know all of the surprises that await them...

_Why did this have to happen all in one day?_

Robin's wondering certainly did not make any burdens lighter, but as she ran to catch up with Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick, she attempted to come up with a strategy to defeat the brigands. Predicting their numbers, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, it all seemed so familiar to Robin. After a few minutes, she was finally able to catch up to the rest of the group, who were concerned with the number of bandits and the havoc they were wreaking on the innocent town. 

"Wait!" Robin called out, finally arriving to the scene all while panting from exhaustion. 

"Robin!" Chrom called out in shock. "You followed us! Why?" He was honestly a bit ecstatic that she came to help in whatever way she could, which he still hadn't decided what that way consisted of. 

"I...I'm not certain myself," the young amnesiac admitted dejectedly. However, her demeanor quickly switched from negative to positively determined. "But I'm armed, and I know my way around a fight, if you'll have me."

"Of course--strength in numbers. Just stay close!" Now Robin was Chrom's responsibility. He was the commander of their little band, but the commander no less. Everything that happened happened under his watch. 

"Right."

"Remember, Robin," Frederick said. "We face practiced thieves and murderers. They will grant us no quarter. It's killed or be killed."

The young woman nodded her head in understanding, while most other girls - or anybody, for that matter - would have quivered in their boots. Not Robin. Chrom saw her blossoming determination to win this battle for the sake of those who found her lying in the field. He managed a little smile, but the heat of battle quickly took it away.

"So, Robin," Chrom began, eyeing the young lady closely while trying to figure out what she could actually do in a fight. "I see you wear a sword. Is it--wait, is that a tome? ...You know magic?"

"I..believe so?" she replied with doubt. "I suppose I should check."

"You _believe_ so? Perhaps I'll just keep a few paces behind you for the time being..."

"No, I can control it, I'm sure." The tactics expert flipped through the pages of her tome, a Thunder tome. "Now, how did this work again? Ah, yes..." 

While she wandered through the pages of her book, a bandit came running to confront her. "A myrmidon, huh?" Robin said with a confident smirk. "In that case..." The enemy sword user, around ten feet away, was coming in closer for a direct attack. Chanting the spell under her breath while reading the text of her tome, she could feel the magic building up within her left hand. Sparks began to fly as the power level increased. "Take this!" she cried after her foreign chant was complete and the power of the magic was full. Extending her left arm, she released the power and a bolt of lightning shot from her hand and through the target.

Unfortunately, Robin wasn't quick enough to avoid all damage and the myrmidon, right before his demise, was able to scratch Robin's right cheek with his sword. She winced in pain, but she knew that it wouldn't do anything to hurt her any further.

"Robin!" Chrom called out, finishing another brigand with his own sword. 

"Don't worry about me; it's just a scratch," the young woman reassured him with a smile. _Ow, shouldn't have smiled_ , she thought. _Smiling makes the pain worse_. She reached out to her face to see how bad the cut was, and it was worse than she thought. Her hand easily caught a lot of the blood from her face.

"I've got this!" Lissa cried out, reaching for a long ornate staff with a blue orb at the end of it. She raced towards her injured comrade after every bandit was cleared out of the nearby area. 

"A heal staff," Robin adored with awe. "You're a cleric, Lissa?"

"Yup! And don't worry, this won't hurt a bit." The young magic user raised her staff high in the air, while a soothing green light enveloped Robin and the pain of her large cut went away. She went to touch it; no blood was revealed on her hand. 

"Amazing," she complimented. Lissa smiled. However, the smiles of the two of them were both short-lived as another brigand was on his way. "Lissa, look out!" Robin cried, tackling the cleric to the ground before the enemy, an axe user, could chop off either of their heads. Out of instinct, Robin took out her bronze sword and used it to defend Lissa and herself from being slaughtered by the barbarian. Eventually, she and the enemy were caught in a stalemate when their weapons were pushed against each other. Robin, still on her knees, tried to push the axe away, but the brigand was too powerful and eventually would overpower her. Her hand quivered with her strength weakening. 

The tactician looked around for anything that could help her, and she knew her tome would be of no use at this rate. Lissa struggled behind her, but once she looked to the left, she could see Frederick, mounted on his horse, charging with a silver lance in hand. Before the brigand knew what hit him, he was impaled with Frederick's lance. 

"Thanks, Frederick," Robin panted. Her arms were already nearly drained, but her body would have stopped working anyway if it weren't for the stalwart paladin.

"You must be more careful," he chastised. "Otherwise both you and Lissa would have been killed."

"But I knew you would come," Robin smiled, pointing to her head. "I'm a tactician, after all. It's all planned out." Sure she made that up for the most part, but she didn't want to fully admit that she could have been killed in her first battle. "Comrades are always there to help, and that's what makes an army work."

"Lissa, you stay with Frederick," the young lady remarked. She had seen Chrom fighting his way through brigands, making his way to the leader of the group, whose name happened to be Garrick. "I'll follow Chrom."

"Be careful!" Lissa called out as her new friend ran with her sword in one hand and tome in the other towards the cleric's older brother. She climbed up onto Frederick's horse and became his healer in case he happened to be injured taking out the remaining underlings (which was highly unlikely, according to Robin's tactical observance). 

Meanwhile, Chrom steadily made his way to the other edge of the town, passing by burning buildings and screaming villagers. The way these bandits ruined the serene peace of this town infuriated him. Why would anyone ruin such a perfect environment to kill and plunder the innocents' life savings?

"Here, sheepy sheepy!" Garrick called out to the Shepherds in a mocking tone. "Come to the slaughter!" His long nose, cheeks covered with red markings, and toothy smile only provoked Chrom further. He was the epitome of a wretched man, according to Chrom. With his sword, Falchion, in hand, he stood ready for more combat.

"Chrom!" he heard a female's voice call out to him. The young man turned his head enough to see that behind him, Robin was jogging towards him. 

"Robin!" he replied, just as she had reached him. 

"I've got your back," she panted with her sword and tome in hand. The tome still kind of worried Chrom, but he had no other choice but to trust her and her judgments. 

"You will all die and watch your kingdom burn!" Garrick laughed.

"Tch, what a sick man," Robin retorted. She turned to face the blue-haired lord. "Are you ready for this?"

The young man nodded. "Oh my mark." As Garrick began to come at the both of them with his steel axe, Robin and Chrom both fell to the right, avoiding the attack. With her tome equipped, Robin was ready for a strike. "Ready!"

Chrom charged at the bandit leader. Robin didn't feel right about this, even though everything seemed like it would run smoothly, that is, until she saw Garrick pull a fast one on the young lord. He pulled out an axe that looked different than his other one. It looked as if it could be thrown...

"Chrom, watch out!" Robin tried to warn Chrom. "He's got a hand axe!" She knew Lissa was too far away to help if anything were to happen to the Shepherd's commander, so the tactician knew she had to act fast. Quickly chanting the spell within her tome, she sidled more to the right in order to hit the bandit chief at an angle while Chrom would hit him head on. Just as Garrick was about to throw his hand axe, the lightning Robin had been containing had been released, striking the brigand and leaving him temporarily paralyzed from pain. 

Luckily Chrom hadn't stopped his attack because that is what finished the battle. With a quick stab through the chest, Garrick was dead in a matter of seconds and the battle was over. They saved the town. 

"Oh, gods," Robin breathed silently, her heart pounding from the terror and excitement from the battle. "Don't you ever do that to me again, Chrom." She gathered her remaining wits as Lissa and Frederick came riding down beside Chrom. "Well, that's the end of that."

"Lucky for the town, we were close by," Lissa remarked to her brother and Frederick as she got off the horse. She walked over to her new friend and savior. "But holy wow, Robin! You were incredible! Swords, sorcery, _and_ tactics! Is there anything you can't do?"

"You're certainly no helpless victim, that's for sure," Chrom remarked while also walking towards his rescuer. 

"Indeed," Frederick said, still with a little suspicion in his voice. He kept his distance, but remained close to Lissa and Chrom. "Perhaps you might even be capable of an explanation for how you came here?"

"I understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick," Robin said. "And I cannot explain why only some knowledge has returned to me. But please, believe me. I have shared all that I know."

"You fought to save Ylissean lives," the young lord popped in, giving Robin a warm smile. "My heart says that's enough."

"And your mind, milord? Will you not heed its council as well?" Frederick still remained adamant on keeping security while Robin was around.

"Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with Robin's talents. We've brigands and unruly neighbors, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician?" While Chrom said all these things, Robin couldn't help but sheepishly smile. He was complimenting her, praising her for her successful efforts. "Besides, I believe her story, odd as it might be."

"Th-thank you, Chrom," Robin smiled, trying to hold back the joyful giggles behind. She didn't think that praise affected her this much. Maybe it was just the fact that Chrom was the one who bestowed the praise.

"So how about it?" the lord turned to the tactician. "Will you join us, Robin?" The young woman didn't need to think about it. Even though it was a dangerous and risky job, she felt like it was her calling.

"I would be honored." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again!  
> I'm posting these chapters pretty fast because I have a lot of time on my hands, but I don't know how long that is going to last. I hope you enjoyed this battle scene. I enjoyed writing this chapter because it allowed more creative freedom than the other chapters. If I enjoy the chapter, odds are it'll probably get finished quicker than normal. Let me know which of the chapters you like better so I can model more chapters after the favored one.  
> As you see, Chrom and Robin's relationship is starting to take off! *throws confetti*  
> Things will start becoming a lot more fast-paced once I get past all of the beginning chapters and move on with the support conversations (but not in a creepy way).  
> As always, feel free to leave constructive criticism or ways that I can improve my work by adding certain details or story parts, etc. I love reading comments and I get giddy whenever I get another "hit". Have a nice day!


	4. Exalts and Shepherds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prior to the events of this chapter, the four companions slept and in the middle of the night, Lissa and Chrom could hear a commotion. The forest they were near was on fire and fire fell from the sky as if it were Armageddon. A portal-like substance appeared and foreign, but menacing monsters appeared before the siblings from the portal. A masked young man, however, came out of the portal and came to their rescue, helping to fight off these zombie-like creatures. Robin and Frederick joined the battle and helped defeat these creatures, while two new additions came into play: Virion, the archest of archers, and Sully, the tomboy cavalier and member of the Shepherds.  
> The group has finally made it to Ylisstol, the Halidom of Ylisse's capital where the exalt, Emmeryn, resides. Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick bring Robin to meet Emmeryn and more about Chrom and Lissa is found out.

"So this is Ylisstol, capital of Ylisse... I've never seen so many people!"

Robin's enthusiasm never seemed to cease, according to Chrom. It was as though Robin was now experiencing what it was like to see anything for the first time, whether it be shadows, colors, or the mere shape of the cobblestone on which they walked. So many people covered the streets and the marketplace was bustling with a certain liveliness that couldn't be found elsewhere. Robin loved it and openly showed her awe and fascination. The more and more he saw her, the more entertained and fascinated he was with her. 

"It appears the capital was spared the chaos we encountered, thank the gods," Frederick declared. "I see no evidence of the great quake. It must've been limited to the forest."

Lissa let out a sigh of satisfaction. "Well, that's a relief."

"Look! The exalt has come to see us!" an older man cried out from the large crowd of people. Many of the citizens began to scatter, occasionally bumping into Robin and pushing her back. They pushed her enough that she backed up into Chrom without realizing it. She looked up and to the left in order to see what she had bumped into, and blushed with a face filled shock when she saw that the young lord hovered over her. He didn't seem to mind, in fact he looked down to give her a friendly smile (as he was at least three inches taller), but quickly looked back up to see the exalt coming down the path that had been cleared for her. Even though Chrom didn't mind, Robin most certainly did and stepped forward and to the left a couple times to get closer to Lissa.

The tactician, carefully rising to the tips of her toes in order to see above the crowd, saw the beauty known as Exalt Emmeryn. Long blonde hair was curled on both sides and fell down atop her chest. Her hair was parted down the middle, revealing a familiar looking brand. She knew she had seen that brand before, but she couldn't remember where it was she saw it. This woman's blue-gray eyes swept over the audience and seemed to be filled with love and peace. A green and creamy yellow cloak was draped around both shoulders and covered a similar colored dress with slits running up both legs and going down to her calves. 

"The exalt is your ruler, yes?" Robin questioned.

"Yes, her name is Lady Emmeryn," Frederick stated.

"Is it safe for her to walk among commoners like this?"

"The exalt is a symbol of peace--Ylisse's most prized quality. Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the fell dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first exalt joined forces with the divine dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then."

"With Plegia poking at our boarders," Chrom interrupted. "The people need her. She's a calming presence, when some might otherwise call for war." The last part of his sentence seemed to have an underlying tone, but Robin couldn't deduce who or what he meant by the "some" that Chrom had been talking about. 

Robin remembered the discussion they had about Plegia after their first battle. Apparently the bandits who had attacked the town had been dressed in a style similar to bandits from Plegia, a country neighboring Ylisse. From what Robin gathered, Plegia had been trying to start a war with Ylisse, but for reasons unknown to her. "Then the Ylissean people are indeed lucky to have her."

"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa chimed in with enthusiasm.

"Yes, I imagine she... Wait, what? She's your... But wouldn't that make you and Chrom..." It dawned on Robin; Chrom and Lissa were the siblings of Exalt Emmeryn. They were royalty.

"The prince and princess of the realm, yes," Frederick chuckled at Robin's ignorance. "You remember Chrom's name and not this?"

"YOU SAID YOU WERE 'SHEPHERDS'!" Robin bit back. She felt a giant mix of feelings bubbling in her mind and heart: embarrassment, inadequacy, humility, shame.

Chrom couldn't help but laugh. Seeing the look on his new tactician's face was priceless. "And so we are...in a manner of speaking. We just have a _lot_ of sheep."

"C-Chrom... I mean, Prince Chrom!" stuttered the young woman. She had no "plan of attack" and so she started to go into a more mild shock. "Sire! Forgive my dreadful manners!" She gave a sudden bow, but it was short lived as the prince placed his hand on her left shoulder.

"Just Chrom is fine. I've never been much for formalities."

"The prince and the princess... That explains why Frederick tolerates all the teasing, eh?"

"Indeed," the dutiful knight replied. "Oh, the sacrifices I make for the good of the realm."

"It looks like Emm is returning to the palace," said Chrom. "Would you like to meet her?"

Robin couldn't find the nerve to say anything. Instead, she nodded repeatedly with excitement with a huge grin on her face. Chrom marked the direction they were headed with a swing of his head and the four of them were off. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lady Emmeryn certainly had to be one of the nicest people on the planet. She had given Robin a warm greeting, but soon needed Chrom to join her for some fancy council meeting, which was understandable given all of the mess that had happened the day before, according to the young tactician. While the two siblings were off discussing most likely boring stuff, Lissa took Robin's hand and started dragging her across the palace. 

Eventually, the two of them made it into a barracks area, where many people were resting, training, or talking to one another. After a conversation with Maribelle, a noble of Ylisse and best childhood friend of Lissa, about how much Lissa made the former worry, the young cleric princess introduced the Shepherds to the newest addition to their family: Robin.

Maribelle did not take a liking to Robin right away, as she blamed her for putting her precious Lissa in danger (though Lissa tried to defend her new friend, but to no avail). The others, however, were fascinated by the new tactician and were willing to put their lives in her capable hands. Though this was a foreign feeling to her, Robin felt like she belonged with these Shepherds in helping them tend to their "sheep". 

Vaike, or "the Teach" as he liked to be called, seemed to be a knuckle head and a bit of a dimwit, but a dimwit with a heart of gold, Robin had decided. _He would probably be that guy who would forget to take his weapon onto the battlefield_ , thought Robin which caused a grin to show on her face.

Sumia, the one who tripped on a pile of papers, was pretty nice to the young tactician, though her head was no doubt in the clouds until Chrom walked in after the meeting with Emmeryn and the rest of the council. 

The prince announced that they were going to a northern country called Regna Ferox, home to the strongest fighters and barbarians on the continent. Their job was to obtain the help from this country in hopes to help calm down the menace of the neighboring Plegians and their threats of war. Chrom began to explain how this duty would have normally been given to Emmeryn, but due to her sudden need to leave the capital, the task was given to the Shepherds. The job was strictly voluntary, according to the young prince. So naturally, almost everyone volunteered to go (including Kellam, to which nobody noticed him in his bulky armor). Sumia was hesitant due to her lack of power and experience, but Chrom persuaded her to come.

"Just stay by me and you'll be fine," Chrom told her. Robin could feel a twitch of jealousy in her body, but quickly dismissed it.

"Robin, you're coming right?" he quickly asked her, catching her off guard. "You are my chief tactician, after all." He gave her a friendly smile.

"Of course," she replied.

"Alright then," the prince said.

"Shepherds, move out!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray! We get to meet Emmeryn and the Shepherds!  
> I'm not putting all the dialogue in between Emmeryn, Robin, and then the Shepherds. That would take too much space and I know readers have a limited amount of attention span before the next break (chapter). SOOO I decided to just mention names of those who don't play as much of a role in MY story instead of describing their appearance. If you want appearance description, tell me and I'll try to fit it in in a later chapter. Or you could look up what they look like online. I mean, you're already on the internet. Next chapter might be...SUPPORT C.  
> I'M PROBABLY MORE EXCITED THAN ANY OF YOU GUYS RIGHT NOW.  
> To me, this chapter is probably the worst one so far because it would have been hard to summarize so much crucial content in the little summary box and still have a good, detailed story. I tried to have Robin a little jealous of Sumia, but not too much since it's a little impossible for Robin to be in love with Chrom right now. Bear with me for a little bit longer and we might go to a good spot.  
> Anyway, please leave a kudos or a comment, giving positive feedback or, as always, constructive criticism.  
> Thanks and may you tip the scales because it's probably time to do that now!


	5. What it Takes to be a "Lady"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving at Regna Ferox (and being attacked on the way there by Risen, the zombie creatures from before, and being attacked AT the gates of Regna Ferox to prove their strength and identities), Chrom and the members of the Shepherds meet East-Khan Flavia, a strong woman with a kick-butt attitude. She recruits their help in order to take back the head-khan status she had previously owned, but was now in the hands of West-Khan, Basilio, another strong and valid candidate for the same title. In order to take back the throne and thus give help from her country to Ylisse, Flavia chose Chrom to be her "champion" to fight against Basilio's champion, who happened to be the masked man dubbed Marth from before. After a ferocious battle and a curious circumstance that revolved around Marth and his sword, which was identical to Chrom's unique and legendary Falchion, Chrom ended up victorious and gained the help of Head-Khan Flavia while Marth vanished without a trace. Basilio, graceful in his defeat, allowed his former champion, the competent swordsman Lon'qu, to join them on their quest to stop Plegia from starting a war with the ever peaceful Ylisse.   
> On their way back to Ylisse, Chrom and Robin have a nice personal discussion...

"Take this!"

Robin held her bronze sword in her right hand and delivered the final blow. _One more slash ought to do it_ , she had thought. At the end of her attack, her enemy was no more. The practice dummy lay motionless on the ground, slashed from side to side. Though only made of wood, the dummy allowed for Robin to plan out new strategies in close combat and new skills for times when the enemy could actually attack back.

The tactician looked at the sky. "It's past noon," she deciphered from the angle of the sun. "I think a nice break is in order after a couple hours of training." Usually by "break", she meant planning new strategies in her tent, though sometimes she would practice chess with Virion (he would often beat her, but at the cost of his own pawns). She sheathed her sword and took a deep breath to help get her in the relaxing mood.

"Finished training for the day, Robin?" her commander's voice could be heard from a few feet away as he walked closer. 

"With combat practice, yes," she replied with a content smile. "But I thought I might review a few battle histories..."

Chrom sighed. He began to know his friend's patterns and her dedication to the army, but he felt that did not exclude her from enjoying herself and taking a _real_ break. "You should relax a bit. Put your feet up. Experienced soldiers rest when they can. On a campaign like this, you never know when the next battle might break out." It's true. Along the way back to Ylisse, they had run into some Risen parties, but luckily managed to fight back without any casualties. 

"Heh, so I've noticed," chuckled Robin playfully. "With all that's happened recently, we've barely had time to even eat." 

"It's been a tough road, to be sure. And it's only going to get harder."

The young woman always found it nice and calming whenever she and Chrom had a conversation like this together. Most of the time, whenever they talked together, it was strictly as general and chief tactician, leaving no time for laughter or any fun. The young man's heart was kind and just and put Robin's mind in a state of peace. Maybe that's why he was so good as a leader. "I do try and rest when I can, though," Robin said. "A lady needs her beauty sleep, after all."

Chrom stood there in dead silence with a confused look on his face. "Er..." 

"What? Did I say something?"

"Er, no..." he managed to stutter. _Try to think of something to say_ , he thought. "It's just that... Well, I didn't consider you the type to care after beauty and such... I suppose I've never really thought of you as a lady."

_Big mistake, you oaf_ , Robin rebuked in her thoughts. _You're not getting yourself out of this argument_.

She glared at him with wide eyes and a frown, slowly sliding down her face. "Excuse me?!" retorted she. 

"No! I mean--I didn't mean--not like that!" the prince spouted, trying to regather his thoughts and correct his mistake. "That is to say, a 'lady', per se... Er... You know, how you fight and strategize, and... Not to say a lady can't fight, but... Gods, this is coming out all wrong."

Robin managed a snarky smirk, still maintaining her gaze of rage. For once, she wish she could see Maribelle giving Chrom so much sass for mistaking the term "lady" for something completely unrealistic. "My goodness, Chrom. You're the scion of a noble family, aren't you? Didn't they teach you manners at your fancy schools growing up?"

"Oh, gods, yes," Chrom replied quickly, remembering all of the times he had to be scolded for not maintaining a "proper" attitude and manners. It was something he would not have liked to be brought up ever again. "Of course they did. We spent a whole term on etiquette."

"Perhaps you could use another term, this time on how to talk with a lady."

Taken aback with her sassy remarks, the prince struggled to come up with a reply. "It's just my image of a lady is someone so prim and proper...perfumed, and pretty... Nothing like you at all! When I look at you, I just don't see a 'lady.' Does that--Er, Robin? What... What are you doing with that rock?"

While he was speaking and completely ruining his chances of coming back to Robin's good side, the tactician calmly bent down and grabbed the largest rock she could find by her feet, which was a little bit bigger than her clenched fist of induced rage. When she got back up, Chrom could see the flare of anger in her eyes. 

"I'm thinking a sharp blow to the head might help fix your eyesight." 

_She's not kidding_ , the prince thought with fear overwhelming him. He had seen her rage in battle and had prayed to the gods he would never have to face her wrath. Of course he wasn't a slacker when it came to fighting, either, but with Robin's fury, he wouldn't want an actual fight to commence. Instead, he tried to calm her down.

"N-no, wait! It was just a joke! Ha ha...ha?" Nothing he said worked as Robin steadied her throwing arm. Chrom knew her precision and accuracy was perfect at that close of a distance, so he switched gears, turning to make a run for it. "...Gotta go!"

Robin threw the rock, but it flew over the prince's right shoulder and landed to the side. _Dang moving target_ , thought Robin angrily. "I don't believe it. The little craven actually ran away!" She kicked a small rock in frustration, but her negative feelings soon died down. "What kind of manners... Sheesh."

She looked back up at the sky and smiled happily. "Oh, well. Perhaps it's only fair. It's not like I see him as a gentleman, let alone some fancy noble."

Though she had appeared angry, she was actually laughing on the inside throughout the entire conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's face it; Chrom isn't entirely good with the ladies (pun not intended). Sometimes, if you see Robin acting a little out of character, it's mostly because I put in how I would feel and what I would do in her place. I try to keep her as level headed as possible, but sometimes it doesn't always work.   
> Chrom's a total goob, but that's okay - we still love him.   
> I really loved working on this chapter and I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did.   
> I might even have the next chapter be the B support because we're already getting close to the time where Chrom needs to marry somebody.   
> Oh goody, B support. It's gonna be so good. :)  
> Feel free to leave comments, positive feedback is always nice and constructive criticism is always welcome. I hope you enjoyed! I will not fail!


	6. The Incident: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maribelle was taken prisoner after attempting to protect the people of Ylisse. In order to rescue her, Chrom, Emmeryn, and the rest of the party come to make a treaty with the Mad King Gangrel, ruler of Plegia. War is declared after Emmeryn refuses to give him the legendary Ylissean treasure, the Fire Emblem, whose full potential in power has been hidden for centuries. Maribelle is rescued by Ricken, the very young mage. Chrom then leads his troops into battle, where they defeat Gangrel's forces and force him to retreat.  
> On their way back to Ylisse, they camp out for a day in order to settle the nerves of the army and to make plans for the next move. Plegia and Ylisse were now at war.  
> While Robin goes to relax, just as Chrom had told her to do days before, the whole moment is not only ruined, but embarrassing moments are shared between the two.

"Finally, time to relax!"

Robin had worked her tail off on that last battle. Not only was it physically straining to take part in a battle of strength and weaponry, but it was also mentally straining to protect everyone in the army while maintaining victory and the protection of Maribelle and Ricken. In her tent, she grabbed a fresh pair of clothes and a clean towel, ready to do some much-needed relaxing before her head exploded from the stratagems and constant pressure that stemmed from the fate of the entire army. Taking her fire tome with her, she headed towards the females' bathing tent.

In the middle of the tent, a modest sized bathing circle was placed and it had already been filled with clean water from a nearby water source. Taking off her boots first, Robin headed over towards the bath and stuck her toes in the water. She immediately pulled her foot out and shivered. "Cold water, just as expected," the tactician remarked. The young woman removed her cloak and the rest of her clothes, all while chanting a spell from her fire tome. 

When she was done with the spell, a fire bolt came from her left hand and leaped into the water. The ball was small enough to not splash or cause much force in the tub, but Robin kept using the fire to heat up the bath until the whole tent became a steamy wonderland. Placing her whole body into the water, Robin let out a deep and relaxing sigh. "Ahhh, nothing could be more perfect than this, nor could anything ruin my good mood right now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Robin!" Chrom called out, wandering throughout the camp with a map clenched tightly in his right hand. He had checked the tactician's tent a couple minutes prior, but she wasn't there. "Where could she be?" 

After asking Frederick, Lissa, Sumia, and Vaike (who inevitably wanted to spar with him, but the prince declined and continued his quest to find the lost tactician), he finally was able to find out which direction she went in by asking Lon'qu. _Of course he would know where she went_ , thought Chrom while heading in the direction Lon'qu told him Robin went. _He would remember where any woman went out of fear_. He still didn't understand why the capable myrmidon felt so intimidated by women, but was able to suppress those feelings in the heat of battle. 

"Mental note," Chrom said cheerfully. "Assign Lon'qu to protect Lissa. She's been getting into trouble lately and it's about time Lon'qu got over his fear." He finally arrived at a lone tent, the only one Robin could have gone into if what Lon'qu said was true. 

"Hey, Robin? ...Robin! Are you in here?! Robin! ...HELLO? I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT OUR NEXT MOVE!"

As he continued to call out into the tent, Robin jerked from the shock of his voice. _Not now_ , Robin pleaded. _Anytime but now_. "Chrom?! I-is that you? Er, if you could just wait outside, I'll just be a moment..." She scrambled out of the bath, squeezing the warm water from her silver hair back into the tub.

"What? Come on in?" Chrom obeyed what he thought Robin had said and lifted up the tent flap, entering the women's bathing tent. Compared to the weather outside, the inside of the tent was a desert, a very humid desert. With his free hand, the young prince tried to blow away some of the steam so he could actually see. "...Gods, why is it so steamy in here? Did someone leave--"

After seeing that her commander had disobeyed her request through the thickness of the steam that had begun to dissipate, Robin's eyes widened in shock and her face became flushed with embarrassment. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!" she cried dramatically. 

Hearing her voice, Chrom looked over in her direction without thinking why she would have hollered like that. "Ah, there you are. I can hardly see a thing through all this blasted steam... Anyway. I wanted to consult with you on tomorrow's march. You see..." He paused. Blood started to rush throughout his body as he could feel his heart beating faster. As the steam slowly vanished, the figure of a naked Robin came into his view.

Robin, as the steam was clearing up, was groping the ground in hopes of finding the towel she had brought in, to no avail until after the steam had vanished. Her heart, beating with the embarrassment and worry, made her hands start to shake. Picking up anything was a lot harder when one can't steady one's hands. Until she grabbed the towel and pressed it against the front of her body protectively, she knelt down and attempted to cover her body with her other arm and by tightening her legs together as if she were under attack.

"Er, is there any special reason you aren't wearing any clothing?" 

"Chrom? Rather than stand there like a slack-jawed village idiot..." the first victim started. "PERHAPS YOU COULD WAIT OUTSIDE LIKE I ASKED?!"

"But, I... You..." The prince began to understand what was actually going on. At first, he was so flustered after seeing his companion without any clothing, he couldn't remember why he was there or that Robin could have been taking a bath. "Oh gods, I'm _so_ sorry! I didn't mean to! That is to say--" Just like the last time he was with Robin, he couldn't find the right words to say. 

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUT!" 

"R-right! Absolutely! Straightaway! I'll, er, wait outside the tent." Quickly turning around, Chrom exited the tent with just as much speed. 

The prince paced in front of the tent, turning around to pace the other direction and back. He couldn't get his thoughts together; he could only think of Robin and what happened in there. Chrom couldn't get the image out of his head - the smooth pale skin, the rosey red cheeks on her face that turned more of a cherry red... "Ugh, gods!" he cried out, pressing his left hand onto his face in shame. "How could I have been so stupid?" He just hoped that Robin wouldn't feel as bad about it.

After a couple minutes of recomposing himself and getting his thoughts in order, Robin came out of the tent, fully dressed in her normal tactician's clothes. Until that day, Chrom had never considered what beautiful skin she had because her body was always covered from head to toe. With an angry look on her face, the young man blushed, especially with increasing worry.

"All right, you!" Robin yelled. "What sort of idiot blunders straight into the women's bathing tent?!"

"I'm sorry!" he cried, his tone marking his plea for forgiveness. "Very, very sorry! I misheard you, I swear it. I had no intention of peeping!"

Robin sighed, her demeanor slowly returning to a neutral state. She believed him; she didn't see a man of Chrom's caliber as a peeping-Chrom. "...Just... Fine. Apology accepted," the woman sighed. She saw her friend's face and saw the fear, embarrassment, and sympathy in his eyes. "Now what was so dang important?"

"Oh, er. I was hoping you could offer some advice on tomorrow's route."

"Fine. What are the options?"

Chrom fidgeted and pulled out the map from his right hand, unraveling its contents from its scroll-like shape. "Well, according to this map, one route is this steep trail through the hills. Or we could circle the hills and follow the main road across the plain. I imagine either would work, but I wanted to see if you had a preference."

The tactician took a few seconds to look at the map before she made a response. "Hmm... I'd say the path through the hills. The main road would be easier, but we'd be more exposed if we encountered foes."

"Right... That's what I was thinking. Thanks for the advice. And, er... Yes! Well, that's it, I guess! So...yes. Bye."

"Goodbye," Robin smiled.

Before either of them could leave, Chrom continued, "...And Robin? I'm really sorry about the bath thing. I honestly didn't mean to catch you like that."

"It's fine," she sighed. "Water under the bridge. Let's forget about it and move on." 

"Er, right. Yes. Good idea. So! I'll catch you later?" The prince paused. _That could be taken the wrong way_ , he decided. "Argh, no! I mean, I'll _see_ you later!" Oh gods, now he started picturing her in the bath again. "...ARGH! NO! I mean... Goodbye!" He ran off before Robin could reply in any way, shape, or form. He could feel the blood rushing through his cheeks and the heat it produced. Most men would have been more comfortable, if not excited, if they saw what he had, but Robin was different and _he_ was different. 

After he rushed off, Robin stood there, steadying her breathing. She tried to not let it affect her that much, but this was Chrom, the prince of Ylisse and the general of their army. How could she have been so careless? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How could he have been so careless? Chrom couldn't get the situation out of his head for the rest of the day. When he saw Robin during their evening meals, he couldn't find the courage to even look at her after what he had done. Later that night, when he was in his make-shift bed, he could only think one thing:

 _Robin is quite beautiful_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YUSH! We finally move forward with the fanfic and get to the good parts!  
> I hope I'm having everyone in character to cater to your needs. I did hint at the Lissa x Lon'qu relationship if you didn't catch it... :3  
> I also like puns, if you couldn't notice from the "peeping-Chrom". HO HO HO.  
> Next chapter, we will meet Marth again and a whole lot of stuff will go down.  
> As always, feel free to give Kudos or a comment. Positive feedback is always nice and constructive criticism is always helpful. Thanks for being such good readers! Time to even the odds!


	7. Heartfelt Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group manages to make it safely back to Ylisse.  
> At the castle of Ylisstol, Chrom waits outside in hopes to clear his head. Robin meets him out there, wondering why he would be out so late when they were going back to Regna Ferox the next day. Chrom reveals to her intricate details of his past and his family. After the conversation, the masked Marth appears to tell them of a foreboding danger that could change the fate of the world.

"Chrom? What are you doing out so late?"

Robin had seen the young prince standing in the castle courtyard by himself from her bedroom window. Not being able to sleep herself, she went through the maze of a castle to join him in his thoughts. 

"Oh, hi, Robin," responded Chrom, a little surprised by her sudden appearance. "Just...dueling with some unpleasant thoughts..." 

 _He better not be still thinking about that bath incident last week_ , Robin thought with annoyance. She had learned how to mask expressions for the most part from the Shepherds, so she kept a straight face as the prince continued to talk.

"Tomorrow we march to Regna Ferox to request additional soldiers. But there's something you should know first." Robin nodded her head, preparing for anything that came her way. What could he possibly have to tell her that was crucial to the quest? He avoided eye contact with her by looking at the ground. "...Not everything Gangrel said was a lie."

Robin tried to recall everything that happened during the incident when Maribelle was captured. She vaguely recalled the Mad King ranting on about how Ylisse had treated Plegia poorly and revenge was in order, or something along the lines of that. "The last exalt, my father, waged war on Plegia for many years. The violence... It was a brutal campaign, ending only with his death fifteen years ago."

The tactician could sense the disdain in Chrom's voice when he mentioned his father. Robin felt honored that he would talk to her about such a touchy subject, especially when it seemed as though the prince remained uncomfortable whenever the previous exalt was mentioned. "Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but his war was no kinder to his own people." He looked back up at Robin. "As the fighting dragged on, our army became more and more diminished. Farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to their deaths. Soon there was no food at all, and the kingdom began to collapse.

"I was young, but I remember those dark times. ...I know how they affected Emmeryn." The tone in his voice had changed from remorseful to bitter in a matter of seconds as soon as he had looked up at his friend. Robin's heart felt heavy for him. She did not know any suffering from her past since she couldn't remember anything from before Chrom and Lissa found her, so she couldn't relate to how the prince felt. 

"Such an experience would change anyone," she attempted to comfort her friend. 

"Indeed. When our father died before her tenth year, he left her quite the legacy... Plegia's desire for vengeance... Our own people's unbridled rage... My sister became a target for blame from all sides. Her own subjects began to hurl insults--and stones. She still bears the scar from one... But she never let them see her pain. Only Lissa and I understood."

"It must have been so hard..."

"I cannot claim to know how she does it, Robin. I could never greet such hostility with warmth and patience. While our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them. She brought soldiers home to their families. She ended the war. And when Ylisse's spirit was mended and the people 'forgave' her? ...She never resented them for it. She represents the best of the halidom—the part most worth protecting. She _is_ peace. But some men would take advantage of that. Men like King Gangrel. The day he understands peace will be the day death gives it to him." Chrom clenched his fist, revealing his anger against Gangrel and those who would inflict harm upon his sister. "...So perhaps I must be death's agent. Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to."

"Well spoken, sir," a familiar voice appeared from a few feet away. A slender young man with short blue hair, dressed in various shades of blue (the inside of his cape, however, was a deep red), appeared with his signature mask covering his eyes.  

"Marth..." Chrom replied, shocked at how he could have penetrated the castle walls.

"Good evening to you," he greeted both of them.

"How did you get in here?" the prince demanded.

"The cleft in the castle wall, behind the maple grove."

Chrom's eyes widened. "There? But how would you...? Ugh."

"You know the place, Chrom?" Robin inquired.

"Yes," he nodded. "I bashed in part of the wall while training the Shepherds. It's only a small hole, and I'd thought it well concealed, but..."

"Your secret is safe with me," assured Marth, his expression remaining unchanged. "I come here only to warn you."

"Warn us?" The prince seemed puzzled at the young man's sudden statement. He gave Robin a quick glance, but then looked back.

"The exalt's life is in danger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, another explanatory side story...  
> I put this in to show how much Chrom trusts Robin enough to tell her about his unsavory family history. He had nothing to gain by Robin knowing it, yet he told her anyway because he likes her.  
> So bear with me as I go through chapters like this. When we get to the end of chapter 11 (in the game, of course), things will be a LOT more creative and I will do more unique dialogues instead of copied quotes.  
> Feel free to leave a Kudos or a comment, positive or constructive.  
> Hope will never die!


	8. The Incident: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Marth, who was actually a female in disguise (she kept her long hair hidden behind the outer layer of her blue hair and with the help of her mask), Emmeryn's life was spared and the Shepherds fought off the invaders. Robin thought one of these intruders seemed familiar, with his dark complexion and dark magic abilities. This man named Validar took a special interest in Robin, but was defeated before his plans for her could be revealed. The taguel (an animal-like creature, specifically a bunny, with the appearance of a human that can turn into said animal), Panne, and the sugar-loving thief, Gaius, have joined the Shepherds. Marth left while telling Chrom of the disasters that would have happened had Emmeryn died. The young lord tried to offer her a reward of some kind, but she declined and stated that he had the possibility of paying her back someday.  
> Until then, the group moves on the next day to move Lady Emmeryn to a safe place where she could not be murdered by Plegians. During the journey there, they stop and have a break for the day, to which yet another embarrassing moment happens between Prince Chrom and his tactician...

"I feel so awkward around Robin."

The young prince was sitting in his tent, attempting to focus on battle strategies that Robin had suggested and the large map that was laid out in front of him on a relatively small table. Though his focus should have been on his sister, he couldn't stop thinking about the incident with Robin. "Ever since that bathing-tent run-in..." He sighed, leaning his head onto his arm that was propped up by the table top. "Whenever I end up alone with her, I'm just frozen in embarrassment." The only exception to that rule was the night when Marth showed up last week at Ylisstol, where he had enough on his mind to forget the incident and tell his friend the truth about his father and the previous war with Plegia. The more he thought about how awkward he felt with Robin, the more the memory came back into his mind...

"Argh, what should I do?" Chrom groaned. "I've never had this problem before." Thinking about the incident, however, did give him an idea on how to calm his nerves. "...Ah! I know: a bath! Yes, perhaps a nice hot bath is just the thing for my nerves... I'll have a soak and then find Robin for a relaxed conversation, like always." He had always enjoyed the conversations outside of strategy planning and war advancements that they had together. Chrom couldn't wait for those to happen again. Robin was always lively and a good listener, as proven at Ylisstol. 

He quickly grabbed a towel and headed for the men's bathing tent.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robin had been wandering around the camp, checking out the supplies and equipment to make sure they were in the best condition. Frederick was pretty good at replacing them, but the tactician wanted to count how many they had in order for the army to actually fight back. An unarmed army is worse than an armed army with fragile weapons.

"Let's see..." she began, going from tent to tent. Normally she knew were everything was, but the tents were set up differently today and she didn't know why. "The lances and axes are kept around here somewhere... I'll just take a quick inventory and see if any need repairs or replacing... Somewhere...around here..." She stopped at a tent after checking most other ones that weren't residential tents. 

"Ah, here--the arms storage tent, I presume?" she inquired, though no one was around to answer her question. "All right then, I'll just head in and--AAAAAAGGGGGGHHH!" After entering the tent, her face was not only filled with frustration, but with embarrassment as she saw the inside of the tent. 

"Robin?!" Chrom cried out in shock. Not dressed and in the presence of Robin left him extremely flustered, especially as he was getting _out_ of the bath. "Where'd you come from?"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the woman cried out just as she had done when the opposite had happened to her.

"Blazes, what are _you_ screaming for? If anyone should be screaming, it's me, isn't it? You aren't supp--OUCH!"

Rather than keep looking at him, she turned away and shielded her eyes with her left arm. With her free arm, she began to pick things off of the ground and throw them at the second victim. Most of the things she picked up were rocks, but she couldn't tell what they were because of her shielded eyes. Robin threw them anyway.

"Ow!" Chrom yelled at her. "Stop it! Stop throwing things! Hey, that's sharp! Don't--YEOWCH!"

"ARGH! Have you _no_ shame?! Noble or not, you should _at least_ wear a towel when you address a lady!"

"B-but, you--OW!--you were the one who walked in on me!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robin had left the tent after she ran out of projectiles. She paced around the outside of the tent, her face feeling very flushed. The tactician just wanted to go die in a hole somewhere, never to be seen or heard of again after everything that had happened between the two friends. After a few minutes, Chrom came out - fully dressed this time. 

The young woman turned around to face him, but swiftly looked down to avoid eye contact at first. "...I... I'm sorry, Chrom," she managed to sputter out. 

"Are we done throwing things?" he replied. He looked annoyed, but he said it with a small grin on his face. 

"I think. ...I don't know what happened. Something just snapped and..."

"Well, no harm done. The gods' justice, perhaps, for my earlier blunder! Ha ha!"

 _He's taking it a lot better than I did_ , Robin thought, grateful that her captain was so forgiving and kind... "Well, anyway, thanks for being so good natured about it all. I feel terrible about that soap dish. How's your ear doing?" During her blind attack, she had accidentally picked up the said dish and threw it at the naked prince, in which he dodged, but not fully.

"Better," laughed he. "It still stings a little, but better. In any case, look on the bright side; we've seen each other naked now, right? So I guess we've got nothing left to hide." Chrom looked down to the side and gave a smile with a little bit of red flowing through his cheeks. "In a way, we're closer than ever."

"Not the most appropriate way for a man and woman to get to know each other... But...I suppose as long as nobody else knows..."

"Ha ha! It's like we're partners in crime sharing an unsavory past! Anything that brings us closer will make us stronger on the battlefield. Just you wait."

"Partners in crime? Heh heh, I like the thought of that. Well, partner, you're secret's safe with me..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the middle of the night, after Robin had done her nightly rounds and read through her tactical books, she tossed around in her makeshift bed. She couldn't sleep. Not for any reason, she thought, but she did have Chrom on her mind. The thought of that moment spiraled through her head, making her blush even more. The tactician remembered the sight of his muscular body and quickly moved onto her side, wrapping the blankets tightly around her body. She smiled.

 _Chrom is really handsome_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tee hee, we come to a full circle!  
> I apologize for the many breaks (marked by the many ~~~), but I feel it was necessary for the story.  
> After this part, Chrom begins to interpret his feelings for Robin and becomes worried. Will he still be able to maintain a friendship with his beloved tactician?  
> I enjoyed writing this chapter as I got to add a few of my own unique parts to it.  
> Hope you enjoyed it and keep reading! More to come real soon!  
> As always, feel free to comment and/or give kudos.  
> My sword hand twitches!


	9. Observing from Afar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After becoming "partners in crime", Chrom and Robin's relationship develops even more. The Ylissean prince notices Robin training with Lon'qu, and asks if he could spar with her after the myrmidon left. During one of their spar matches, Chrom begins to feel something while in his tactician's presence. Robin, feeling the same thing, expresses it a little differently, but her commander begins to feel nervous and leaves as soon as the battle is over.  
> What will happen to the relationship of these two friends?

"Get back here, Lon'qu! I'm not done with you yet!"

Chrom could hear the voice of his tactician from a ways away. The wording of her shout made him a little concerned, but went to check it out out of curiosity. Peering into the wide field that was dubbed the temporary practice ground of the Shepherds, he could see Robin holding what seemed to be figs and quickly throwing them at Lon'qu with both of them running around the zone like children playing tag. Lon'qu was obviously very disturbed by Robin's choice of action, especially since she was a woman trying to get as close to him as possible. 

"Dodge this, twinkle toes!" she cried out again. 

"You are crazy, woman!" Lon'qu cried out while dodging another fig. Chrom, though a bit disturbed by Robin's antics, felt easily entertained, but the entertainment was short lived as soon as Lon'qu left the area. 

"You run, coward!" Robin laughed maniacally. She noticed her captain from the corner of her eye and turned to face him with a joyous smile. "Hello, Chrom! Did you want to spar, too?"

Chrom began to walk over to her, taking note and caution of the figs she still held. "As long as you won't throw any figs," he chuckled. "Or anything else, for that matter." He hinted at the incident that happened the other day.

"Oh, you saw that?" Robin blushed, quickly dropping all of her remaining figs onto the ground. "It's a technique I'm testing on Lon'qu to help him overcome his fear of me."

"I...see." Chrom believed her, but didn't think that that was her only motive; she obviously enjoyed the challenge of trying to hit the timid myrmidon and failing again and again. When he reached her, he pulled out Falchion from its sheath and placed it on the ground, grabbing a wooden training sword nearby. He wouldn't want to hurt Robin.

Robin remembered him fighting Marth in Regna Ferox and how fierce he could be with his legendary sword. That sword was, ironically, wielded by the Hero-King Marth from centuries ago. And the female Marth had Falchion as well, though Robin had no idea how that was possible. The blade itself was intricate and the hilt was unique, allowing a hole to be seen between the blade and hilt. The tactician grabbed a training sword just like Chrom had. They had broken some of these swords in the past because of how intense their spars would get, but it was all good natured fun and great practice for the real battles.

"Ready?" he asked, forming an attack stance.

She nodded. The two of them didn't use real swords to duke it out since they had become accustomed to battling close by in the battlefield and not being able to hold back any actual blows. Chrom began to move. _Apparently he's the one to start out the match this time_ , Robin thought. Adjusting into a defensive stance, she held her ground and was ready to defend her opponent's blow. As always, the prince attacked with much force in one slash, making it hard for Robin to maintain her stance. He made more quick attempts at hitting her, to which she blocked all forces with the wooden sword. 

At least ten minutes had passed by and both sides refused to give up. People began to show up and gather around the two fighters; this was a normal thing most of the time since Robin and Chrom would often go all-out when it came to their sparring matches. By being together on the battlefield, they memorized each other's strengths and weaknesses. The tactician knew of Chrom's mighty sword arm, but his resistance to magic was lacking. Good for him they weren't allowed to use magic in this match.

Chrom, wary of Robin's strength and magic ability, knew she wasn't as fast as him, so he took that to his advantage. After hanging around her so much, he began to pick up on her tactical approach when it came to battling. Her defense was just as sharp as ever as she blocked each one of his strikes. She managed to strike during times where the prince wasn't, but Chrom managed to block them. He knew not to underestimate his opponent, especially when it was Robin.

After taking a "break" from slashing at each other, the two stood their ground, catching their breaths. Robin could see members of the Shepherds had gathered around to see them, including Frederick, Lissa, Vaike, Gaius (who was sucking on a lollipop), Sumia, Stahl, Sully, and the rest of them. They came for a show and Robin wasn't going to disappoint. 

In the past, Chrom had beaten her nearly every time they sparred. Granted it wasn't as often as she would have liked, but she could only win against him a couple times. Both had gotten stronger out of each sparring experience and neither were willing to let go. Robin felt a connection with Chrom whenever they fought, or whenever they were together for that matter, but the connection was much stronger during this battle. 

The commander could feel it, too. He could feel the determination radiating from his opponent, which only increased his desire to beat her. After about fifteen seconds of standing there, Robin moved in to attack. Chrom prepared to block, but something tingled in his chest as the tactician came closer. He couldn't really explain it - only that it was something he had never felt before. It felt...good. Great, even. 

Because of his sudden distraction, Robin took the opportunity to parry his block and knock him down with the hilt of her toy sword, shoving in all the force she could muster. Chrom lost his balance and fell over as Robin kept pushing him down to the ground. After falling, Chrom had the tip of Robin's wooden sword pointing at his chest. He lost. 

He wasn't upset by this, not one bit. He was happy that Robin won, especially given all of the hard work she had put into training all of these months. She held out her hand, smiling brightly. The prince remembered the first day they met and how he held out his hand to her. But now, he was the one on the ground. He smiled back and took her hand. She had to use both hands to pull him up, but he staggered to his feet and heard the cheering of everyone around him. When he had fallen over, it felt as though the only people in the sparring area were Robin and himself. 

Once steadily on his feet, he looked at Robin, who in turn looked up at him. Both smiled, but Chrom's went away as he stood in awe at the beauty who had defeated him. His chest went in and out as he breathed heavily from the mix of adrenaline and attraction. Robin took deep breaths, too, but he wasn't sure it was for all of the said reasons. 

He was attracted to her. The prince knew how beautiful she looked, how kind and considerate she acted, and how smart she was. He was captivated. Realizing it now made him understand how long he had been infatuated with her, and that was a very long time. 

"Good match," his friend stated. "I think that was our best one yet."

"Yeah," Chrom said, unsure of what to do next. "Good match." He turned to pick up Falchion and place it back in its sheath, but started to leave without saying any form of goodbye to Robin. He didn't know _what_ to say. The crowd around him as he left the area attempted to congratulate him and tell him what a marvelous job he did in the fight, but he ignored the comments. All he could think about was Robin. 

 _It's inappropriate_ , he thought angrily. A part of him wished that it was someone else who had put him under this incurable spell, someone who he could be with without any consequences from society. A general and his chief tactician... However, that part was overwhelmed by the feeling in his chest that affected every thought, every action, and every perceived moment. 

Robin remained at the field, feeling lonely and detached from her friend. She hoped that his loss didn't affect their friendship; if it had, her heart would be devastated. Throughout the battle, she could feel the excitement, the emotions of her heart would pound to the beat of a drum. The tactician knew that any romance between them couldn't be, as it was inappropriate. _Besides, what if he doesn't like me like that?_ she questioned herself in hopes of dimming down the feelings inside her heart, but to no avail. She could never convince herself to stop loving him.

And he could never convince himself to stop loving her.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...This is probably going to be my favorite chapter.  
> To all the men out there - I'm sorry if I misrepresented how a man feels when he's in love with a woman. I am a female, so I could only read what I saw online, go with what I've seen from the movies, and play through what I've played in the games.  
> To all the sensitive peeps - I hope you enjoyed this little tidbit of looking into their hearts... I seriously enjoyed writing this. I could feel my chest getting the tinglies whenever I wrote about Chrom's emotions. This chapter was mainly focused around our dear hero, the Prince of Ylisse. I felt like he needed more recognition, so I gave it out.  
> I hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to leave a kudos or a comment if you enjoyed it!  
> Checkmate!


	10. Love Rivals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After running into more Plegian barbarians, Emmeryn and her pegasus captain, Phila, decide to head back to Ylisse in order to prevent panic from arousing the people. Chrom, sure that it is a trap, begs his sister not to go. The exalt entrusts the legendary Fire Emblem to Chrom in case anything were to happen to her so the Plegians wouldn't be able to get their hands on it. She then tells her brother to go to Regna Ferox and request reinforcements to help with the war on Plegia.  
> Cordelia, a fine Ylissean pegasus knight, joins the shepherds after her comrades in her unit were killed by Plegians.  
> Robin and Cordelia talk, discussing tactics, histories, and emotions. Meanwhile, Chrom is trying his best to avoid Robin at any cost, even though they have to see each other during tactical meetings. He doesn't want to let her know his feelings for her and this causes Robin great emotional strain because she notices him avoiding her.

"Chrom!"

Robin couldn't find her friend anywhere. She was searching forever, but still no signs of him. The tactician even resorted to looking under tables and crates trying to find any trace of the prince. She knew he was avoiding him, and if he thought this was just a friendly game of hide-and-seek, he would be looking forward to the biggest punch to the face. Ever since they sparred in that battle a few days ago, Chrom seemed different and would only meet with Robin when the situation demanded it, which meant only during battle planning meetings. 

 _What if he loves another woman?_ Robin wondered fearfully. _What if it's Sumia? Or Maribelle? Or Sully?_ Robin saw him the other day, training with Sully and talking with Sumia, but she couldn't be sure. And since Maribelle was Lissa's best friend, it wasn't completely ridiculous that she and Chrom would fall in love with each other. Nevertheless, it only provoked her insecurities. The tactician had another fearsome thought penetrate her mind, leaving her to stop in her tracks and gasp. _What if he knows I love him and he doesn't love me back?_ She couldn't let go of these fears until she faced Chrom, who would remove her uncertainly. She continued with her search.

As she turned another corner around a tent, she could hear a female sigh dejectedly. Stopping to look to her left, she could see a redhead sitting on a rock on the edge of the campsite. "Cordelia?" Robin wondered aloud. She had just met the pegasus knight a couple days ago, but the sight of her cherry-red hair made her easily distinguishable. Her silver breastplate and matching gauntlets were still attached to her body. Hidden underneath her armor, a short red dress covered half of her thighs and the majority of her legs were covered by her thigh-high red boots. The tactician could see a bunch of flower petals surrounding Cordelia as she kept plucking the petals off of intact flowers by her side.

Robin walked closer to the newest addition to their group, though she had been more familiar with Ylisse than Robin herself because of her dedicated service to the pegasus knights. "Hey, Cordelia?"

"Oh, Robin!" Cordelia looked to her right and saw the tactician standing as she herself sat. 

"What are all the petals for?" 

"Oh, nothing in particular." She plucked another petal from a white wildflower, releasing the petal into the wind. "Just helping me get thoughts together."

Robin looked at her suspiciously. She knew this pegasus rider was lying. She went over and sat on the grass across from Cordelia, where she looked up at the young woman while trying to read her expression. "You know," Robin began, "as the tactician of the army, I make it my goal to figure everyone out: how they work, what they enjoy doing, how they battle... I haven't gotten to talk to you that much, so I would like to know what's on your mind. I might even try to fix it if it's that sort of problem."

Cordelia's expression lightened. "You would like to listen?" 

The tactician nodded; perhaps this could get her mind off of Chrom. She leaned in closer as if to help keep their conversation confidential. 

"Well," the pegasus knight began. "It started with Sumia and her petal predictions. She thinks this crazy idea where she can actually predict someone's future. I don't really believe it, but it brings me a certain comfort when I'm by myself."

"Oh? And what are you predicting?"

"It's not exactly predicting, just trying to decipher the present," Cordelia said. "You see, I'm in love with someone."

Robin tilted her head. "Go on," she said with interest. She started to feel more comfortable with the pegasus knight. Maybe she could talk about her heartaches with her as well. 

"I'm in love with our captain," Cordelia finished. "Chrom..."

Robin's heart sank to the bottom of an emotional sea of turmoil. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. The tactician couldn't tell her new friend about her love for the same man. She wouldn't want the new friendship to become twisted with a bitter rivalry. And besides, she felt as though Cordelia was more suited for Chrom than herself; she was brave, gentle, kind, smart, determined, and extremely talented. She couldn't imagine why Chrom would _not_ pick Cordelia as a suitable wife. She was pretty much perfect. The prince deserved someone like Cordelia, especially to compliment his characteristics. Though he was a bit clumsy and goofy at times, Robin couldn't help but love those qualities, along with his leadership abilities, his sense of justice, and his compassion for others. He was full of energy and always perked up the tactician's attitude, and his good looks didn't hurt either.

"I see," Robin replied with a neutral face. 

For the next half hour, Cordelia went on a rant on how much she was in love with the prince of Ylisse and how sad she was whenever he wouldn't notice her, which happened to be quite often. Lost in her own displeasure, Robin said nothing and Cordelia didn't notice. 

After politely telling Cordelia that she had to go to a planning meeting (which was a lie), Robin abruptly left the scene and gave up her search for her superior. She felt inadequate and hopeless, especially since Chrom was no longer talking to her. _What have I done wrong?_ she thought. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chrom had told no one of his affection towards his tactician - not Lissa, not Frederick, not anyone. And he didn't plan on doing so, either. He hoped to keep the emotions bottled up for as long as he could in attempts to dissipate all the love he had for Robin. It wasn't easy - in fact, he didn't know if it was even possible to fully let go of the woman he loved. Not only was she attractive, but she was extremely intelligent with her tactics, kind towards the Shepherds, brave for placing everyone's lives in her (capable) hands, and overall fun to be around. Robin was patient with him and forgiving, especially during the bath incident (which he still had engraved forever in the back of his mind), and not to mention her overall confidence in her abilities drove him wild. It was as if she was the perfect girl for him, but he hoped that it was merely attraction that drove him to this conclusion. 

The prince had purposely avoided her all day. Whenever he saw her looking for him, he would go from a walk into a sprint away from her. She almost found him a couple times; she had been getting faster. He didn't enjoy doing this, but felt it was necessary if he wanted to get rid of his feelings if at all possible. He had no idea of knowing whether or not Robin loved him back, so he decided to go with the benefit of the doubt and trust that she didn't. It hurt, oh gods it hurt. 

While walking around camp, he stopped to see Robin at least twenty feet away. Chrom ducked behind a tent and peered around the corner to see what she was up to - hopefully not looking for him again. To his surprise, he could see her with Frederick, laughing and talking with him casually. Though he couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, - or planning - he felt a twinge of jealousy. Robin seemed to be happy without him and he wasn't happy without her. Perhaps she didn't feel the same way about him as he felt about her. 

Chrom felt his heart pound with the sight of her. 

He walked away, wishing he had the courage to face her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D'aww, both of them are feeling a bit jealous.  
> I felt like I needed to add the Cordelia thing in there because it's just so blatantly obvious that she loves Chrom and since I have them love each other at this point in the story, I had to fit it in now.  
> I wanted Chrom to tell Robin before the whole Emmeryn thing (for those of you who have played the game) so Chrom didn't have to go through as much sorrow when expressing his love. That would just be so awful for his heart. And he needs a support system as he goes through the next couple chapters and Robin is the one he loves most, sooooo...  
> Also, I needed to add the whole "avoiding me" thing for the next support conversation, so this was the perfect time to do it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and the next chapter is just going to be so great. Love you all! Feel free to post a comment or give a kudos or whatever you want. (ALMOST AT 300 HITS!!! SO HAPPY!!!)  
> Pick a god and pray!  
> 3/9/2015 EDIT: I finally found a song that perfectly describes Cordelia and Chrom's relationship: Teardrops on my Guitar by Taylor Swift. Sure they don't have the guitars and stuff, but I'm pretty sure Cordelia would be able to play it since she's so talented. I enjoy putting songs to couples, so I might add other things later.  
> 3/10/2015 EDIT: I added the reasons behind why they love each other, which will (probably) be expressed in some future chapter.


	11. The Wind at my Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After avoiding Robin for a few days (except for planning sessions and battles where it was unavoidable), Chrom gets cornered by the tactician and chooses to confess his love for her after she asks him what the deal was with him not facing her. Robin, shocked at this confession, replies, but it's not necessarily the response Chrom was hoping for.  
> What will happen to the two heroes?

"Chrom! Just the man I wanted to see. We need to talk."

Robin finally caught up to her target, who hadn't noticed her walking behind him. After days and days of avoiding her, she knew he couldn't escape this time.

Chrom's heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice. "Robin?!" he gulped.

"It's about the route you drew for tomorrow's march," said Robin. Though that wasn't her primary objective, she could use that as a way to get the prince to talk to her. "I was looking at the map and I noticed... Chrom? Are you listening to me?"

He clearly wasn't; his head was directed towards the left and his eyes were facing the ground. "Er, oh. Of course!" he exclaimed, attempting to do his best impersonation of a man who wasn't nervous beyond belief. "...Actually, no. I kind of had something to...do." He couldn't keep up the charade for much longer, so the prince had to come up with a way to escape the tactician's questions.

"Chrom, you're acting very strange. Are you hiding something from me?"

"H-hide? You mean, HIDE hide? Oh, gosh, no! N-nothing at all... Nope." The more he spoke, the less convincing it seemed and he realized that. It was either run away now, or tell her the truth.

"Then why are you fidgeting like you've got a squirrel in your pantaloons?" It's true; Chrom found himself moving his hands around and drawing lines in the dirt with his foot. He immediately put to rest his twitches and faced Robin with absolutely no movement, still behaving abnormally.

"I-I'm not fidgeting!" he cried. "I'm perfectly relaxed... And, er, normal."

"And refusing to meet my eye? Listen, Chrom. Didn't you say that we're close friends, with no secrets between us? Didn't you mean that?"

"N-no! I mean, yes! I mean... I swear it's not like that!"

"I know you've been avoiding me recently," Robin sighed. "And I'd like to know why, Chrom. I think I deserve an explanation. Please. I can't go on pretending there's nothing wrong." The young woman looked sadly at the ground, afraid to face whatever reality her friend had in store for her. "Do you dislike my company now?" 

The thought that she would think that made Chrom's heart go wild. He didn't mean to hurt her in any way, shape, or form, but he supposed he did. The prince couldn't believe that he hurt the one woman he truly loved. "D-dislike you?!" he shouted in disbelief. "Egads, Robin, of course I don't dislike you!" Her eyes looked back at him and he could see a sudden glow within them. "Nothing could be further than the truth."

"Then why are you avoiding me?"

"Er..." The young man struggled; he debated on whether or not he should express his true feelings. He could feel his cheeks begin to flush with heat as his heart beat faster.

"Chrom?" Robin tilted her head and gave him a concerned look.

"D-don't look at me like that," he requested. "It's just that...we've been fighting a lot together. We're always side by side. At first I thought of you as an ally, then a comrade, and finally a friend. I've felt the bonds of trust grow between us, stronger and stronger. And then I realized...you were more than just a friend."

The tactician's shoulders dropped as her heart could barely contain its excitement. Could he really have requited her feelings for him? "...What do you mean?" She couldn't take any chances. She had to hear it come straight from his mouth without any slurred meanings. 

"I mean I care about you, Robin," the man confessed. "As a man, and you as a woman."

"Chrom, we can't possibly--"

"Wait, please!" he begged. "You've made me come this far, and now I'm going to say my piece."

"...But when you're worked up like this, you might say something you regret."

"I don't care! I've tried to keep this bottled up, and I can't do it anymore. I'm going to tell you how I feel, even if your head explodes in embarrassment."

 _His wording could have used a little bit of work_ , Robin thought, _but it doesn't matter right now_! "O-kay?"

"All right, deep breath," said Chrom. There was no going back now, so he had to prepare himself. "FHOOOOOO! ...Hold...and out... HAAAAAAAAAAAAH. Once more... FHOOOOOOOOO! Holding...holding...and out... HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH." After his breathing exercises, which helped him become more patient, he was ready. "Right, I'm set now. Here goes. Prepare yourself, because I'm going to say it!"

"...Then say it already!" Robin cried, losing _her_ patience.

"Robin..." he began, "I'm in love with you."

She couldn't believe it; he confessed his love for her. She couldn't find any words to say, anything to do, or how to react. She couldn't decide whether this was the best day of her life or one of the worst since they wouldn't be able to be together during the war. "...Oh," she managed to spout out.

"I have been from the very first moment I laid eyes on you," Chrom said, smiling sweetly while openly showing his infatuation with Robin. What he said was true; when he first saw her lying on the grassy ground in the field, he felt an instant connection, but couldn't decipher what it meant until just recently. Seeing her always made him happy and who wouldn't want to be happy 24/7? "I just didn't realize it until the last little while."

Robin remained silent.

"Look, I know this is sudden and I'm coming on like a wyvern in heat. But I'm not trying to force you into a decision, believe me. Whatever your answer, I shall abide by it--" He paused and thought about the rest of his sentence and how the sting would feel if his tactician didn't reciprocate his feelings, "no matter how painful. And come what may, we'll always be friends. That I promise."

"This is..." Robin attempted to make a statement that wouldn't crush his heart, or hers for that matter. "I'm sorry, Chrom, but this is impossible. The general and his chief tactician? It just... It wouldn't be right. Our first responsibility must be to the soldiers we lead, not to each other. You understand that, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." Was she trying to let him down gently? Or did she also feel the same thing, but knew that they couldn't be together? The prince couldn't decide.

However, the tactician's expression changed to a smile and a faint glow of radiant happiness. "But someday this war will end. We'll emerge victorious and bring peace back to the world. And when that happens, we'll be free to follow our hearts."

Chrom's face lit up. "...OUR hearts?"

"Yes," replied she, "...because I love you as well."

"You do? But that's...but that's..." The general tried to find the appropriate phrase on which to describe this intense feeling of joy he felt within his heart. His chest began to feel light and his smile became larger with each passing second. "Wonderful! Ah ha ha ha! This is the best day of my life!" So happy was he that he wrapped his hands around her waist and lifted her up, much to her surprise, and spun her around a full circle. He gently placed her on the ground and could also see her beaming and lovely face. Not being able to resist it any longer, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, giving her an unexpected but completely desired surprise. After the initial shock, Robin kissed back. They separated after what seemed like much longer than what time had passed with both parties breathing with excitement. 

"Robin...Listen to me..." he told her, placing his right hand on her cheek.

"You are the wind at my back and the sword at my side. Together, my love, we shall build a peaceful world - just you and me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DID IT. I DID THE THING. (ZHU LI, DO THA THING)  
> Now it won't be as awkward between the two, now that they are engaged. But don't think that this marks the end of the story! Or even close to the end! This is only the beginning of the trials they'll face as a married/engaged couple. There's still the rest of the war, the two years after the war, and then the rest of the Fire Emblem: Awakening story line.  
> I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far - I certainly have. I also hope no one is mad at me with my original plot spins and such.  
> As always, feel free to leave a comment and/or a kudos, or whatever you feel like.  
> Thanks for getting me over 300 hits, guys! You are amazing!  
> Clear a path, everyone!


	12. Endless Sorrow and Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once at Regna Ferox, Chrom and the others find out that Emmeryn was captured on the way back to Ylisse and was to be put to death by King Gangrel. With Feroxi units added to their numbers, the Shepherds plan and begin to execute a rescue mission for the exalt. Along their way back, they run into the Grimleal, worshipers of the fell dragon, Grima, and have to fight them off. Nowi, a manakete (creature that takes a human form, but can also take the form of a dragon) who looks especially young but is a few centuries old, and Gregor, a "swellsword", joins the Shepherds as they head back to rescue Emmeryn.   
> Arriving where the exalt will be put to death, the Shepherds go into battle, meeting the feminine priest, Libra, and the dark mage, Tharja. They defeat Campari, the general in charge of this unit of Plegia, but it turns out that this was all a trap. Phila is killed and Gangrel demands the Fire Emblem for Emmeryn's life, where archers are ready to fire at her as she stands on a lone cliff.  
> How will Chrom face this situation? Will he and Robin be able to save Emmeryn AND the Fire Emblem, or will one be sacrificed?

"We've lost..."

The situation couldn't get much worse according to Chrom. After the Risen archers appeared and killed Phila and the other pegasus knights, they were free to shoot down Emmeryn with just a word from Gangrel. 

"I believe this is what they call a reversal of fortunes," laughed the mad king. "Now...grovel before me. Plead! Beg for your worthless lives!"

"I'd give up my life before I'd beg for it from you," Chrom growled. Robin was worried. She stood beside him this entire time, but felt like an absolute failure. It was her job - nay, her _duty_ \- to protect all the lives of the Ylissean and Feroxi armies. But she couldn't save the most important life: Emmeryn's. She was all out of strategies, all out of plans, all out of ideas. She went through every possible scenario in her mind, but all ended in death. They were trapped and would be lucky if she and Chrom could escape with their lives.

"Oh, now _that_ is a good line. A fitting epitaph for your tombstone perhaps?" Chrom hated the smirk upon Gangrel's face. He could feel the anger boiling inside of him; he wanted to protect his sister, but he couldn't as long as the Mad King was in his way. "But it's not just your life that hangs in the balance. The exalt still stands upon the block. And I have a dozen bows trained on her. All it would take is one word from me."

Robin looked over to the narrow, extended cliff on which Emmeryn stood. She could make out Emmeryn's expression and it showed no sign of fear or regret. _The exalt is amazing_ , Robin thought. _She is ready to die for the sake of her people, including Chrom_... The couple hadn't told anyone of their relationship; they had hoped to tell Emmeryn first as they were so certain that they would bring her back home safely and it would act as a celebration surprise. Sadly, it didn't look like this was going to be the case. 

"Emm!" Chrom cried out to his sister, who still remained dozens of feet away. "Hold on, I'm--"

"ARCHERS! If this Ylissean pup so much as twitches, let fly your arrows!"

"I... I'll kill you!" Chrom quickly glanced over at Robin, searching for any hope that his sister could be saved. The tactician's heart burned out of hopelessness. She failed Chrom; she failed the one she loved. Chrom could see the look in her eyes and felt his heart drop. Not his sister, oh gods, not Emmeryn. 

"Go ahead!" shouted the Plegian ruler. "I welcome it. Just know you were responsible for Big Sister's bloody demise! ...And what of the rest of you? Eh? Who wants the honor of killing the exalt? ...No one? Bah! Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it? Pathetic!"

"Curse you!" the prince yelled. 

"Now, now, my boy--no one needs to die today. Not you. Not the exalt. Not your friends. Just lay down your sword, and give me the Fire Emblem."

"...I..." The prince hesitated. He wanted to save everyone's life, of course he did. But he also knew that this would probably be a trap. And who knows why the Mad King would want the Fire Emblem anyway? It sounded suspicious, but...

"Chrom, you can't trust him!" his dear friend cried.

"Of _course_ I can't trust him! I'm not an idiot!" The harsh tone in his voice made Robin bounce back a little in shock, a little hurt from his comment. "But if I just say no, he'll kill her! The gods are cruel, curse them! My sister or my duty... A problem with no right answer, yet I must choose!"

"That's right!" Robin attempted to cheer in order to stay optimistic. "Don't give up! There has to be a way..."

"If there is, I can't see it... Ah, gods!"

"I will count to three!" King Gangrel cried out. "Throw down your weapons, or your exalt becomes the world's largest quiver. One!" he began to count. Robin struggled to think of anything to do. "Two!" She became frustrated and sorrowful, not being able to help her loved ones. They had bested her. "Thr--"

"Gangrel, hold!" Chrom interrupted. "...You win. Everyone, lay down yo--"

"No, wait!" called out the exalt from the precipice. 

"SILENCE!" Gangrel yelled.

"Emm..." uttered the prince under his breath. 

"King Gangrel, is there no hope you will listen?" Emmeryn asked. 

"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?! I think not. No, all I want to hear now is the _thunk_ of arrows, and a _splat_ as you hit the ground. Take one, long, last look from your perch. You do so enjoy looking down on people... Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That is, unless someone were to give me the Emblem... NOW!"

Emmeryn said nothing.

"ALL RIGHT! All right..." Chrom began. "Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. _Maybe_ someday we'll face a crisis where _maybe_ the Emblem would've helped... But I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their exalt... And we need our sister. If those dark days should come, we'll face them together."

"Chrom... Th-thank you. I know now what I must do..." The exalt looked over the people below her, though she still thought of them as her equals. 

"Emm, what are you--"

"Plegians! I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must... As I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

"Emm, no! No!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sight of what happened was nearly too much for Robin to bear, so she couldn't imagine how Chrom felt, especially after trying to run over to her and catch her, but ultimately failing as he was too late. Her body lay motionless on the ground as Chrom fell to his knees, tears strolling down his eyes. The tears hit the desert stone floor, creating a noticeable amount of water in comparison to the dry air. 

The tactician held Lissa, not only back, but in order to keep the young girl from crying into hysteria. 

"CURSE YOU, GANGREL!" the angered prince released. No words could describe what he felt. 

"NOOOOOO!" Lissa cried while sobbing in Robin's shoulder. 

"Bwa ha ha haa!" laughed the Mad King. "Well now! ...How disgustingly noble. And so lovely a fall! Here I thought death to be an ugly thing. I've never seen one fall so gracefully, in fact. ...And I've seen many fall. Ah... So ends Emmeryn, Ylisse's most exalted! But how can we ensure everyone remembers this beautiful moment of her sacrifice? Perhaps we should gather up her body and put it on display! Bwa ha ha..."

"Gangrel! You die today!" Chrom readied Falchion in his never ending rage, but was stopped by Basilio.

"No, boy! I secured and escape route! We have to flee!" the bold, dark-skinned man told the devastated prince.

"B-but...her body... I have to..." He reached out for the lifeless body of his older sister, but was slowly taken away by his fiance. 

"You have to RUN! Now do it! Robin! Don't let him do anything stupid!" Basilio cried out. 

"Chrom, we've got to run," the tactician said. While he was on the ground, she stood and forced his face to look up to her eyes. "We can't stay here much longer. If we do, Emmeryn's death will be for naught and everything she gave up would have been worthless."

"B-but..." he tried to argue.

"No arguing!" she yelled at the dejected prince. Robin forced him to come with her by pulling him with enough force to get him moving. 

Meanwhile, a familiar young woman could be seen off in the distance: Marth. She placed both hands to her mouth in shock.

"No! No... I'm too late... Our bleak future is written once more... And darkness awaits us all."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad day, huh? I felt like I had to include this because this is where Chrom really starts to rely on Robin's emotional strength to help him through all of this. That's another reason why I had Chrom propose/confess his love to Robin (I consider it an indirect proposal; the ring will come later) because if he still had no idea Robin loved him back, he would have been so crushed from the impact of all of the feels. Robin serves as his anchor and his light.   
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and there will be more to come! Please keep reading and leave me feedback on the chapters. Thanks so much, guys!


	13. Renewal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fall of Emmeryn, the Shepherds are led by Olivia, a close friend of Basilio and a wonderful and shy dancer, to get onto the escape route. However, they are intercepted by Plegian soldiers and must get past them if they want to protect the Fire Emblem and save all of their lives.   
> Another problem lies within the Shepherd's commander and the new Exalt of Ylisse; he has lost much of his will to fight. Robin attempts to convince him that not all is lost, but isn't sure how much she could pull him through the darkness of these trials.   
> Will this also put a strain on Chrom and Robin's budding romantic relationship? If so, how will the couple make it out in once piece?

"Hurry! There should be carriages waiting just through the ravine!"

Basilio's words rang throughout the ears of the battle leaders, but Chrom wasn't paying attention. His heart sang a million miles below the ocean of turmoil and sadness. His anger felt depleted as it was overwhelmed by the sorrow of losing his older sister. Emmeryn was like a second mother to him in a way, always taking care of him and Lissa when they were younger. It was his fault. He could have done something to stop Gangrel. If only he had forced Emmeryn stay when she decided to leave with Phila.

"Chrom, please!" Robin cried out to the dazed prince. He looked up to see his beloved tactician standing before him. Tears slowly dripped down her cheeks just like her faith in him, or so he thought. Seeing her cry only seemed to make it worse; he had caused her, his love, to cry. "I can't do this without you."

Rain poured from the gloomy gray skies, as if to say the world was crying because the exalt was dead. "Rrgh... I'm... I'm coming," Chrom replied, slowly running with Robin towards the direction that Olivia told them to go. Basilio ran with them. As they raced down the muddy paths, Robin placed her hand in Chrom's glove-covered hand to give an attempt of support. The prince felt slightly flustered, but grasped her hand in return. He appreciated all that Robin did for him, for them. She was now the beacon of light in his life, when all seemed dark and filled with despair. Never had he felt so glad on the timing of his confessed love for her; if he hadn't told her the truth from his heart, he wouldn't be able to bear the thought of her rejecting his love _and_ the death of his sister. Now he was so glad he was in love with the chief tactician, as she always had a plan to save the army. Commanding an army was not at the top of his mind, so his second in command could help take over if necessary. 

Robin could feel the burdens of Chrom. Ever since they met, they had always had a special bond that only continued to become tighter as time passed. Now that Exalt Emmeryn had passed away, the next in line would be none other than Chrom, making her the next queen. She didn't feel comfortable with the thought - she had enough pressure dealing with an entire army, but an entire country? The tactician's thought was quickly dismissed as Basilio called out to the two.

"Quickly! We're almost... Huh?" the bold man stopped in his tracks. Robin looked around and could see wyverns from the sky and archers on top of large mounds at the ready around them, and they certainly were not part of the Ylissean or Feroxi armies. "Plegians! I knew it couldn't be that easy... They're right in our way! We must fight!"

_Gods, does it have to be now?_ Robin wondered mournfully. She looked up at Chrom as they came to a stop by Basilio. He was breathing heavily, but the look of sadness still lingered on his face. The tactician turned her gaze back to the battlefield. "Chrom..."

The young man looked to his right, where Robin stood, without saying a word.

"Promise me you won't leave my side," she announced. Robin tightened her grip on his hand, but softly released it in order to let go. They couldn't be holding hands in battle.

"I promise," he said as he also let go. 

Robin analyzed the situation and swiftly came up with a plan of attack. She turned around, now facing the entire army that was her responsibility. She could see the Shepherds up in front, including Frederick, Lissa, Sumia, Cordelia, and all of the rest. "Shepherds!" she cried out. "The archers are the first ones to go, followed by the wyvern riders. Once the archers are gone, there will be many one on one battles. Frederick! You and Cordelia will pair up. We need a strong defender to protect our fliers as the fliers are the ones to reach the archers. Make sure she is well protected; if an arrow hits her pegasus, both of you will go down."

"As you command, Robin," Frederick said atop of his horse with Cordelia moving over to his side. Though it seemed as though Robin was taking over the army, this was pretty normal for a serious battle such as this. 

"Lon'qu! You and Lissa will be together. We need someone with your swift skill to protect her and in case you are hurt, she will heal you."

The timid myrmidon felt uncomfortable with this pair situation, but the heat of battle would quickly dim this away. As Robin kept making tactical strategies, pairing up Sumia and Gaius, Miriel and Vaike, Sully and Stahl, Tharja and Libra, Gregor and Nowi, etc, Chrom stepped forward and made a final remark.

"Shepherds!" he cried out to his faithful army. "Today we have lost more than an exalt; we have lost a dear sister and friend. However, this is not the end and we _will_ make it out of this alive! Together we shall end this war so no more lives may be lost!"

Robin smiled as her love's newly found flame sparked the hearts of the Ylissean army. The crowed cheered a battle cry, ready to fight with filled motivation. "Ready, Robin?" the prince asked.

"Yes." They charged into the dreary battle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The two leaders finally made it to the commander of the Plegian army, Mustafa. The man seemed very noble and generous, so Robin felt uneasy about killing a man of his caliber. He had allowed some of his soldiers, who were touched by Emmeryn's speech before she fell, to abandon the armies. Mustafa would have let the Shepherds go himself, but his duty and position prevented him from doing so without severely negative consequences. He kindly asked Chrom and Robin to surrender as he would do his best to make sure no harm would come to them, but of course the reply was a no. So they went into battle.

This man, a capable axe user, was more fierce in battle than he was noble. Only Robin and Chrom were fighting him because the others were off fighting Mustafa's men. Robin attempted to hit him with a few ferocious wind strikes, since thunder tomes weren't useful in the rain (they could hurt someone) and fire wouldn't be as effective. Mustafa dodged each wind strike.

Chrom went in for an attack, but his strike was quickly blocked by the barbarian's short throwing axe. The man, overpowering the prince, was able to shove him away with what seemed to be such little force. While Chrom was recovering from the shove, Mustafa took the opportunity to come in and attack with his axe. Robin quickly and instinctively chanted from her Elwind tome, a book with more powerful wind magic, extending her left arm to command where the wind would form into a piercing mini cyclone. 

Her attack hit, but barely and thus didn't do much damage. It left a scratch on his left cheek, which only provoked him into hitting Robin instead of Chrom. He readied his throwing arm and threw his short axe. The axe, just like a boomerang with a blade attached to it, came towards Robin extremely fast. If it were to hit her, she would be dead.

"No!" Chrom screamed with rage. He couldn't bare the thought of losing two loved ones over the course of 24 hours. He began to feel empty, as if love had no meaning and only brought pain. Why did he have to be so vulnerable?

Robin, however, predicted Mustafa's attack, which is why she provoked him in the first place, otherwise he would have attacked and killed Chrom. She had brought out her most powerful tome she had found in the desert-like area when Emmeryn was about to be executed, Thoron, and readied its thundery blast. Though it was raining, she would have to take the risk. Lightning magic could be very uncontrollable, but it was her only chance of getting out alive with her commander. The tactician summoned the lighting after chanting from her left hand, aiming it just right to send the projectile flying. Though she was safe from the axe, the lightning and built up magic left some repercussions and had her on the ground in pain. Part of the bolt had circulated through her body, but missed any vital organs as she still breathed, though barely conscious.  

Mustafa's short axe returned to him and he grabbed its handle in midair. He closed in on Robin, ready to kill her for good, not noticing Chrom got back on his feet and attacked him from behind. The prince shoved Falchion through the barbarian's abdomen in fury, swiftly retracting it once the damage had been done.

"Well done, Ylisseans... Hrrggh! Please...spare my men..." the dying captain asked, his consciousness slowly fading from the world. The Ylissean commander nodded, but his gaze immediately turned to Robin.

Without a second thought, he rushed over to Robin and fell to his knees. Lifting up her head and supporting her back, his worry increased as he called out her name, but was given no response. 

"Robin!" he cried again in a weak voice. Robin responded to the call of her name, but only by barely opening her eyes.

"Chrom?" she asked in turn. "Did we...did we win?"

The young man smiled, grateful to the gods that she could be saved. "Yes, yes we did," he chuckled. He pulled her head up further, lightly brushing her wet, starlight-colored hair from her face. He leaned down to kiss her forehead, assuring her that everything would be fine. Even though Emmeryn was dead, he remembered the promise that he made to her; he would never leave her side. As long as they were together, they could get through anything.

"That's good..." The tactician, still in a daze, was happy to see Chrom smile. She was afraid she would never see the happiness in Chrom again. Robin took a deep breath and couldn't help but fall asleep in the prince's arms. 

The battle was won and Mustafa's men were spared, just as he had wished for. However, the Shepherds still needed to get on the move in order to escape the remaining wrath of King Gangrel's forces. Chrom steadied his arm behind Robin's back, placed his other arm in the crevice of her bent knees, and lifted her up with ease. She wasn't too heavy to begin with and Chrom's determination only made him stronger. 

"Let's move!" he cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realizing that Robin was in danger kind of snapped Chrom out of his depression daze. He also realized that he could go on without Emmeryn, but a life without Emmeryn AND Robin would be even more painful, so he focused his work on saving his beloved.   
> I hope you enjoyed the battle scene! Next up is versus Mad King Gangrel!   
> As I always say, feel free to leave a comment containing positive feedback or constructive criticism. I always reply to comments, whether you like it or not.   
> Raaaaagggeee!


	14. Mad King Gangrel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After resting up and preparing for the final battle, Chrom, Robin, and the rest of the Shepherds head out to face Mad King Gangrel face-to-face. The king's armies have started to dwindle because they didn't want to fight, thanks to Emmeryn's inspiring speech. While the other Shepherds fight off the Plegian armies, Chrom and Robin fight the mad man. The battle is ferocious, but only one will end up victorious.  
> Will Chrom and Robin be able to fight the battle? Or will one of them perish?

"Come, princeling! I've sharpened my sword just for you!"

The cries of the Mad King Gangrel rang through Robin's ears. _Doesn't he realize he's done more harm than good for himself and his country?_ she wondered. It didn't matter; Gangrel would never listen to reason; the Shepherds had to learn that the hard way. 

"My sister wished for our people to know peace, Gangrel. But as long as you draw breath, it can never come," Chrom replied. "For Ylisse!" The prince had always depended on Robin in a battle, but now he depended on her more than ever. The Shepherds couldn't take down and distract all of the enemies, so Gangrel was not alone in his fight with the two Ylissean leaders. While the other members of the Shepherds were off fighting Plegian mercenaries, mages, and wyvern riders, Chrom and Robin had to face one of each _and_ the Mad King all at once. 

Robin swiftly calculated a strategy to defeat the four foes. The hardest person to kill would be of course Gangrel, the sly and speedy trickster. The mage would have to be taken down first, otherwise Chrom wouldn't last that long. His resistance to magic was a lot lower than his physical defense, so Robin would have to take the mage on while Chrom either fought the wyvern rider, the mercenary, or Gangrel. Knowing King Gangrel's strategy on picking on the weak, the tactician knew that if Chrom were distracted, Gangrel would go for the kill. That meant Robin would have to keep all of the other three enemies at bay while Chrom went one on one with the Plegian ruler. 

"Chrom," started Robin. The young man turned in her direction. "I'll take care of the other three. You go for Gangrel."

"What? Robin, it's too dangerous for you to do that alone!" the prince replied with a tinge of anger mixed with worry.

"It'll be even more dangerous if one of us doesn't give our undivided attention to Gangrel." The Mad King pulled out his sword, a magical Levin Sword (very rare and valuable, Robin noted), ready to strike down any who opposed him. She looked up at him and gave the prince a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine."

"Robin..." 

"Beg for your lives, Ylissean scum!" yelled King Gangrel as he dashed towards Chrom.

"Chrom, go!" Robin cried, taking out her steel sword and her more powerful wind tome, Arcwind. _Wind magic would be especially effective against a wyvern rider_ , Robin noted. She kept an eye on Chrom in case he needed her assistance, but began fighting the three Plegian menaces. 

Chanting her magic spell as quickly as she could, she held out her left hand and summoned a green cyclone of wind where the wyvern rider flew above them. The wyvern got caught in the windy spell and crashed to the ground. "That's one down, two to go."

The tactician quickly turned around with enough time to dodge an incoming mercenary's sword. "Kya!" she squealed as the sword barely missed her face.

"Robin!" Chrom heard her cry while in a temporary stalemate with Gangrel. Their two swords were pressed together as one tried to overtake the other. Distracted by Robin's sudden outburst, Gangrel took the opportunity to shove him to the ground.

This circumstance was a lot similar to the time he fought with Robin; he was on the ground and Gangrel had the opportunity to kill him. But since he had quite the opposite feelings for Gangrel as he did for Robin, he wasn't afraid to do the following. Chrom swept his Falchion by the Mad King's legs, causing the latter to jump back and regain his composure. While he did that, Chrom rolled over and swiftly got back on both feet, the two sides once again even.

"I'm fine!" Robin called out, slashing the mercenary with her steel sword. The only one left now was the mage. Robin put away her green wind tome and pulled out a familiar yellow-covered one: Thoron. 

"Robin, you better be careful with that!" cried Chrom. He didn't want another close call when it came to her life. He blocked more strikes coming from Gangrel as he put his head back into the battle.

"Don't worry," the tactician replied. She smirked at the mage, who was ready to attack. "So, you wanna play with fire?" She noticed that the mage was carrying a fire tome. "Well, prepare to get burned!" The mage cast his fire spell - an elfire tome, apparently - and Robin managed to jump to the left and dodge. Reading the enchantments written in the Thoron tome, Robin felt a familiar sensation building up in her left hand. It felt familiar, but the last time she used it felt different than this time. Why did it feel different and yet so similar to something else? Dismissing this thought in the heat of battle, she released the built up magic and fired it directly at the mage. The pure lightning bolt spouted from her hand and formed a straight line directly leading towards the enemy mage. It flew threw the magic user and out a few feet beyond. "Nicely done!" she called out as the mage fell over in defeat.

Chrom, impressed with his fiance's magnificent aim, couldn't afford to lighten up like she did. Gangrel was certainly an impressive foe; his speed was incredible and that magical Levin Sword... One hit with that and Chrom wouldn't be able to do much else. Magic had always been his weakness and he realized that. As soon as Robin's work was done, she came over to help fight the Mad King. 

Well, now," Gangrel chuckled. "Two against one seems hardly fair. Perhaps we should even the playing field." He turned to look at Robin. Before Chrom knew what was going on, he relied upon his instincts and went over to protect his beloved. After his body started moving, he knew Gangrel would attack Robin. She wasn't fast enough to dodge or to think of a counter attack. The Ylissean prince readied Falchion for a block, though Gangrel's strike was a lunge. He couldn't completely deflect the attack, but he could change its target.

Robin stood in horror as she saw Chrom take the blow for her and as he groaned in pain and fell to his knees. The Mad King's sword luckily didn't hit any of Chrom's vital organs - it cut through his left side, leaving a large gash slowly bleeding out. The tactician saw the blow had ripped through Chrom's clothing and she could see both in tact skin and blood rushing down his side. In anger, Robin charged up her magic as fast as she could while chanting the inscriptions of her Thoron tome. Before Gangrel could move, Robin released her magic at such a close range. Not only was the Mad King attacked by Robin, but with some of his remaining strength, Chrom managed to run Falchion through Gangrel's lower abdomen while on the ground. The blast of the Thoron sent the Plegian ruler flying, leaving him several feet away on the ground.

"F-fool of...a prince..." Gangrel managed to spout out. "Your people care not for you... You are...alone... As every man lives and dies: ...alone..." The king took his last breath.

Robin fell down to Chrom, who still remained conscious. "Oh, gods," Robin muttered. "Oh, gods." She touched Chrom's wound to get a feel on how bad it was. The prince winced in the excruciating pain of her touch. 

"Gods, that hurt like heck," he muttered. The prince looked up to see Robin and a few tears streaming down her face. "Hey, now." He took his hand and placed it on her cheek, wiping away the tears with his thumb. "It's going to be alright. It just hurts a bit."

"A BIT?!" the worried and angered tactician yelled. "What the heck were you thinking?!"

"Gods," he growled. "The least thing you could say is a 'thank you.'" 

"Thanks, but no thanks! We didn't need you to put your life in danger for my sake!"

"Robin, I..." Before he could finish, his beloved wrapped her arms around his neck, falling to the ground to be with him. He could hear her holding back tears. 

"We didn't need to lose two exalts in a week," she choked. "I didn't need to lose my only family." 

Chrom kept silent. Even though that deep down, Robin knew that every single one of the Shepherds was a part of her new family, he understood where she was coming from. It's how he felt when he rescued her. He didn't need to lose anymore family than he already had. He placed his right hand on her back.

"There, there," he comforted her. "We're okay now and that's what matters."

She lifted up her head from his shoulder and stared into his deep blue eyes. They smiled at each other, but Chrom's quickly went away as the pain in his side began to increase. Robin helped him get off of the ground and supported him by leaning him on her right shoulder and placing his arm on her left. "Let's go get you to LIssa," she told him. He gave her a hopeful and playful smile.

_Robin, I wish you knew how lucky I am to have met you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D'awww... *sniff* *sniff*  
> I took liberty of having Chrom sustain an injury because it adds more depth to the story. Don't worry; it isn't going to be a permanent injury, but it might leave a scar. I hope you enjoyed this intense fight scene. I also hope you think I kept all of the characters in character.  
> Anyways, feel free to leave a comment/kudos or whatever! I always appreciate it.  
> Checkmate!


	15. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle, Lissa takes care of Chrom's wounds, though he still needs to rest and keep bandages on to prevent infections. However, before they head back to Ylisse, Chrom officially proposes to Robin and she of course accepts.  
> The Shepherds return to Ylisstol and celebrate their victory, though Chrom decides to take a break from the celebration and quietly mourn for his sister. Robin comes to comfort him and the two share a moment.

"OUCH! Lissa, be careful!"

Though the majority of Chrom's wounds had been patched up by Lissa's heal staff, not all of them could be healed, so the young cleric was wrapping a white bandage around her brother's waist. Every time a knew round of bandages touched Chrom's skin, he winced in pain. Robin felt a little flustered by seeing him shirtless, but she supposed that it wasn't the first time...

"Sorry, but it has to be done!" Lissa cried. "You're lucky that Gangrel missed any important parts of your body. And that Robin was there to bring you back."

The young man turned to his beloved, who was standing over him, and smiled. "I am pretty lucky, aren't I?" Frederick and some of the others, like Gaius, Sumia, Vaike, and Stahl, stood around the three friends. Lissa gave a smirk once she saw her brother smile.

"So..." she began.

"Soooo, what?" her brother asked.

"When's the wedding?"

Her brother's face turned bright red - redder than cherries. "W-what do you mean by that?!" He looked over at Robin, who also blushed, but they both quickly looked away from each other.

"Oh, come on, Chrom," she laughed. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you two would be together. After all of the time you two spend together, whether intentional or not, you would _have_ to fall in love with each other at _some_ point."

The young prince looked at the rest of the Shepherds, who all were giggling and chuckling. "You all knew?"

"It wasn't that hard to pick up, Blue," Gaius noted, sucking on a lollipop the shape of a bear. The rest of the Shepherds nodded.

"So when is the wedding?" Lissa asked again.

Chrom looked up at Robin, trying to read an answer from her. She didn't know what to think since she didn't really think that far ahead. The prince turned back to his sister. "Preferably as soon as possible."

Robin's heart began to beat faster. The thought of being not only in love with Chrom, but married to him made her experience the butterflies in her stomach all over again. 

"So it's settled," said Frederick. "I'll begin making preparations immediately."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chrom had disappeared from the gathering of the Shepherds after they reached Ylisstol. Even though he had made the best decision of his life, he still wasn't over Emmeryn's death. He sat on the bed laying in the middle of the giant room, facing the balcony window. He had taken the clothes that covered his torso off in order to relieve some of the stress the clothing had placed on his wound. The prince also placed fresh bandages around his waist to protect his injury, which was doing a lot better than last week. 

A lot of things were on his mind: his sister, taking over Ylisse, helping it recover from war, his wedding... Everything seemed too stressful for him to handle. A tear rolled down his cheek. _If only Emm were here_ , he thought. _She would know what to do._ All he could do was sit, pondering on how the situation in Ylisse could be fixed. Chrom and Robin would be wed within the month, the same day as his coronation as the new exalt. The day wasn't set, but it would be once all of the preparations were complete.

Just as he wiped a tear from his cheek, Chrom heard a knock on his door. "Who is it?" he called out.

"It's Robin."

His heart skipped a beat, but in the most wonderful way it could. "Come in."

The door slowly opened and Robin's head peeped through the bedroom door. When she saw that Chrom was awaiting her (and had most of his clothes on), she entered the room and sat by the prince on his bed. "I noticed you left the celebration early," she explained.

"Yeah..." he wandered off. "I just needed time to myself."

"I'm sorry," Robin replied, standing back up. "I shouldn't have come then." She began to walk away from the bed, but Chrom quickly grabbed her hand.

"That's not what I meant. I mean... I want you here." Robin sat back down, looking at the dejected prince who looked into her eyes. 

"You miss Emmeryn a lot," understated Robin. She didn't need to ask; she would have felt the same way. She couldn't feel as devastated as Chrom because Emmeryn wasn't her sister and she only knew the exalt for about a year. _A whole year has passed_ , Robin awed. _It feels like such a short time has passed since I met Chrom..._

Chrom remained silent. The tactician's heart ached for him - she wished she could do something to make him feel better. She looked over at him. His blue hair was just as messy as it was while they marched, probably a habit of his (he was able to pull it off very well. Without his shirt, Robin could see the bandages wrapped tightly around his waist, covering his stomach down to his hips. His brand, the same kind Emmeryn had on her forehead, was still visible on his right shoulder, with or without his shirt since he purposefully kept it uncovered. 

"So much has happened this year," Chrom finally said. 

"Yeah..." The tactician couldn't find anything else to say. "If there's anything--" Before she could finish, Chrom pulled her face in and pressed his lips to hers. He never really had a pattern when it came to showing his affection, according to Robin. He let her go and saw her face go red. 

"I would never give this year up for anything," he told her. He kissed her again, but this time she kissed back. If he had it his way, he would never let Robin go. She was the prince's support system and he would do anything for her. However, Robin pushed him away, her face still blushing bright red.

"I should go," she muttered. As a goodbye, she kissed his left cheek and whispered something in Chrom's ear. "I love you." The young man smiled and brushed his hand across the young woman's cheek. 

"I love you, too."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the kind of cheesy romantic scene. It's setting up for things to come. Next chapter will include the highlights of their wedding and it will be a clean day if you know what I mean.  
> Thanks for reading! As I always say, feel free to leave a positive comment or CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I appreciate it all the time and I always reply.  
> Thanks again!


	16. New Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has finally come: Chrom and Robin's wedding and Chrom's reception of the title, Exalt of Ylisse. After getting ready for her wedding, Robin walks down the aisle as beautiful as ever. The new exalt reveals his bride to the Ylissean public as everyone across the country celebrates their union and happiness.  
> Robin talks to Cordelia, who tells her everything is alright, even though the former still feels guilty about everything that happened. Afterwards, Chrom is officially pardoned from the celebration in order to "help Robin rest."

"You look beautiful, Robin."

Lissa had put Robin's hair up, rolling it into a bun that was spread thin all around the back of her head. Her bangs were left down, but were neatly combed to the sides. Robin sat in front of a mirror with many women in the room, including Sumia and Olivia. The tactician looked at her reflection while sitting on the velvet cushioned chair. The mirror was atop of a desk and the desk itself was covered in various hair trinkets and pins. 

Robin felt pretty; she felt like the kind of lady Chrom's initial thoughts had in mind for a woman of nobility. Her dress, hand picked by Lissa and Sumia with a little input from the bride, fell down to her feet as she stood up to show off her final appearance to the bridesmaids and other women. The bottom of the dress puffed out with beautiful layers of silk, tied together with a light blue sash around her hips that was wrapped around twice before it it was tied into a bow behind her. The top of the bridal gown tightened around her chest and ended by her collarbone with a rounded edge. Though the dress itself was sleeveless, Robin wore a set of arm decorations that tightened her arms and withdrew from them with a wide poof as if they were connected to the dress. 

"Well, come on," Lissa added. "Do a little twirl."

"Er, do I have to?" Robin replied. It wasn't like her to just twirl in front of so many people, but she complied to her soon-to-be sister-in-law's demands. The dress followed behind her as she swirled, expanding across the floor.

"Beautiful," Sumia complimented. "Now come; the wedding is going to start soon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since Robin had no idea if her father was still alive (since she had no memory of any parent in her life), Frederick was the one to walk her down the aisle. She was so glad she wore white flats - even though Lissa wanted her to wear heels - because she would have tripped with any other shoe type. Chrom wore his armor, except it looked exceptionally different as it was also considered to be ceremonial. His breastplate was formed in silver layers and a long-sleeved blue shirt covered his body underneath. It even covered his brand on his right shoulder, which was almost never covered. Another plate of silver armor covered his other shoulder. A white belt loosely hung about his waist with a white cape draping behind him. Blue gauntlets covered his hands and his lower arms with silver plating. 

The new exalt finally presented a ring to his love; he wanted it to be a surprise the entire time and it certainly surprised Robin. It was a silver ring with a special decoration. Instead of having a fancy diamond or any other precious stone as a centerpiece, the mark of Ylisse - the brand of the exalt - was engraved upon the beautiful silver. The brand itself was made of a beautiful and stunning sapphire. "My parents had this ring made to commemorate my birth," he told her. "I was told to only give it to the woman I love." Robin could feel her heart nearly burst with joy and nervousness, but this was certainly a day she would never forget.

After the vows were all said and done, Chrom wrapped his arms around his new wife's waist and kissed her. Robin, in turn, curled her arms around his neck to bring him closer to her as their kiss became deeper. As soon as they released their kiss, Chrom whispered in Robins ear, "Ready to greet the Ylissean people?"

The tactician nearly forgot that she married the new exalt and thus she would have to greet the people after the ceremony was over. He took her hand and led her to the balcony not far behind them. From the balcony, Robin could see the people of Ylisstol gathered around to meet their new queen and see the newly crowned exalt. Chrom raised his right arm and gave a short wave to the people, to which they all cheered. 

"Long live Prince Chrom, the new exalt!" someone shouted from the audience. Another cried the saying as well. Robin stayed behind, lurking in the shadows behind her husband until he looked over to her and motioned her to step out of the darkness. She obeyed and as soon as she entered the sight of the Ylissean people, the cheering growing louder.

"What a sight to behold!" a male voice cried from the group.

"She's so beautiful!" a woman called out. All of the incoming compliments made Robin blush, partially because she was out of her comfort zone when in the sight of so many people and there was no battle going on. 

"See?" Chrom looked to her. "They love you. Are you ready to go back inside?" The new queen nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While mingling with the guests and giving them her thanks for being at the wedding, she ran into Cordelia. Robin, remembering the conversation she had (or at least the listening she had done) with the young pegasus knight, felt extremely guilty. She had taken Cordelia's love away from her. Both women were in love with Chrom, but Chrom picked only one. 

"Cordelia," the tactician muttered. "You didn't have to be here if it makes you uncomfortable. I'm so sorry..."

"Robin," the other woman started. "It isn't your fault. It's no one's fault. Chrom chose you over me, and that's okay. You make him more happy than I ever could." The two of them looked over at the new exalt, who was talking and laughing with Vaike and Basilio from a few yards away. Chrom did look extremely happy as he spoke with the two allies. 

"But what about you, Cordelia?" Robin turned her head back to Cordelia. "Are you happy?"

The young woman sighed. "In truth, I'm a little heartbroken, but that's because Chrom didn't love me like I loved him. I'm sure that things will turn out for the best." Cordelia leaned in for a hug from Robin. "Thank you for being such a good friend."

The queen gave her a large smile as soon as they parted, but when they did, Chrom was coming towards them. "Robin!" he called out. When he made it over to the two females, Cordelia quickly looked down and tried to mask her face as it was obviously blushing.

"Oh, Chrom," Robin replied.

"Oh, hello, Cordelia," the young man greeted.

"H-hello," stuttered she in return. She looked up at the couple. "I'll...I'll go talk with Sumia. Your highness." Cordelia did a quick curtsy in her long red and white short sleeved dress and went over to said friend.

Chrom gave her a friendly smile before she left and turned to Robin, to which his smile's meaning changed. "It's getting a little crowded, don't you think?" he asked gently.

Robin gave him a suspicious look. "What are you hinting at?" 

"Would you like to call it a day?"

The tactician's face blushed. "C-Chrom, we can't just leave--"

He put his finger to her lips to quiet her. "I've talked it out with Lissa and some of the others. I told them that you were feeling worn out and needed to rest. Everything will be just fine."

Though she did feel kind of tired from all of the talking, greetings, and other host-like pleasantries, Robin felt her heart beat faster as if she were wide awake. The prince let out his hand and she grabbed it.

"Let's go, then," Chrom said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mawwiage is what bwings us togevah today...  
> Hooray! Chrom and Robin are officially married! I hope you enjoyed it. The next couple chapters will be better.  
> The next chapter will be directly after this, but don't get any funny ideas. I'm a very clean cut person, so there won't be any of those kind of chapters if you know what I mean. I just don't write that kind of stuff. But I will write some dilemmas the two have since Emmeryn is no longer around and that leaves the entire future of Ylisse in Chrom's and Robin's hands.  
> So anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and feel free to leave a comment, whether a positive one or one containing constructive criticism. Thanks so much!
> 
> EDIT: I changed Chrom's outfit to a more familiar one. He now wears the armor he has as a Great Lord. I felt it was more appropriate and familiar. It may seem a bit unorthodox, but it also resembles a kind of ceremonial armor which he also could have used for his coronation. Hope you enjoyed the change!


	17. Bonds of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom and Robin arrive at their chambers and lie on the bed. However, they talk for a while since the memory of Emmeryn resurfaces itself in Chrom's mind. Robin, trying to help her new husband feel comforted, struggles in knowing what to do to help him.  
> Touched by her words, Chrom reveals the true expression of his love for her.

"Don't you dare drop me."

After the two were out of sight and walking down the corridors, Chrom had slowed down to sweep Robin off the ground and carry her in his arms - bridal style. The tactician wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. 

"I wouldn't dream of dropping you," the prince laughed. Hearing his laugh raised the young woman's spirits. She dug her head into his chest to hear the steady beat of his heart. "I've done this before with you."

Robin looked up at him. "When did this happen?!" 

"Back when we fought Mustafa," replied he. "You were unconscious, so I suppose that's why you don't remember. Back with the Thoron incident in the rain..."

"Oh," Robin blushed, remembering the feeling of excess lightning and magic that filled her body that day. "Right..." They continued down the hallway with a velvet ruddy purple carpet covering the floor and many doors surrounding them. Robin forgot that she would be living in a large castle; after spending most of her time after her memory loss in tents, she felt out of place in the vast corridors of Castle Ylisse. 

The couple stopped at a door at the end of the hallway: Chrom's bedroom door, if Robin remembered correctly. The exalt was barely able to turn the doorknob with Robin in his arms, but he succeeded anyway. He pushed the door open with his back and the two entered the room, closing the door with his back again. Heading over to the large bed on the left side of the room, the exalt gently set his new wife down on the soft mattress covered with freshly cleaned deep violet red blankets. 

The bed was very soft, just like the one in her guest room from before. Robin seemed to sink right in it, or maybe that was just the softness of the blankets she lay upon. Chrom, after removing his cape and gauntlets and setting them on the floor, sat down next to her, looking intensely at her blushing face.

"You look very beautiful," he admired. He looked at her hair in the elegant updo. "Lissa, Sumia, and Olivia did a very good job." His queen smiled, but the smile quickly faded away when Chrom looked away.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked with worry in her voice.

"It's nothing... I just..." The prince tried to think of the right words to say. "I wish Emmeryn could have been here to see all of this." Robin sat up. She had also wished that Emmeryn could have lived to see the day her younger brother got married. 

"We all wish that," the tactician reassured her husband, wrapping her arms around his torso and laying her head behind his left shoulder. It was the best thing she could come up with in order to make him happy. 

"Robin..." Chrom whispered, turning his body to face hers. He placed his hand - this time with no glove on it - on his lovely bride's check and caressed it with love. His touch gave Robin a strange but wonderful feeling in her heart. "What would I do without you?"

The young lady smiled while she could feel the blood rushing up to her cheeks. "You would have probably not have made it as far with the tactical strategies and he battles," she joked. The man's facial expressions remained the same. He suddenly began drawing closer to her, closing in on a kiss. "Chrom, we don't have to if you don't want--"

Before the tactician could finish, the exalt forced his lips on hers and quickly pulled away. "Sometimes, you talk too much." Robin couldn't find anything else to say. Or perhaps there was nothing _to_ say. Chrom kissed her again, but more passionately this time. He could feel her heart beat quickly with every kiss that they shared. The exalt sneaked his hand behind Robin's head and began to pull out the pins that held her hair up and throwing them on the ground to the left. Her hair quickly went down as soon as one was pulled out, but the prince kept removing them in order to let his wife's hair all the way down.

When he was done, Chrom progressively pushed Robin back as the kiss went on so she would fall on her back and onto the pillows beneath her head. Now on top of her, he pulled away, listening to the heavy breathing of the both of them. The exalt watched as his bride's chest rose and fell to the beat of her heart. This time, she took both of her hands, placed them on his cheeks, and swiftly pulled him in back to her.

Chrom and Robin sealed their night with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, now you know what happens. Yes, this may seem a bit detailed romantically, but it's nothing that would be rated for a mature audience. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope I didn't make it too unrealistic or cheesy. I originally planned to put this into the previous chapter, but it didn't work out as well because of the long description of the dress (that was based off of the bride class, if you didn't notice).  
> Anyway, feel free to leave a comment as always, whether positive or CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I always appreciate it.  
> Goodnight everyone!


	18. Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year has passed since the exalt and his tactician were wed. Over the course of the twelve months they spent together, stress and love have been motivating factors to help rebuild Ylisse after the war with Plegia. Ylisse has nearly been restored to its former glory.  
> However, one problem still persists and its within the royal couple; they still haven't had a child, nor were they expecting one. Throughout the course of the year, they didn't have much time to have a child because of the reparations being made, but when they tried, it was to no avail. Pressure was put on Robin as she needed to birth a child in order to be the heir of the Halidom, though Chrom assured her that they would have one when the time was right.  
> Within two months, Robin begins to feel sick.

_I can't believe it's already been a year._

Sunlight filled the room from the nearby window as Robin silently celebrated their one year anniversary. She opened her eyes slowly, seeing Chrom silently sleeping beside her and lightly covered with the blankets. The tactician smiled; Chrom had been restless for the past couple weeks because of the work he had done in rebuilding the country. He would even travel around with the Shepherds, including Robin (much to his dismay in regards to her safety), preventing further Risen attacks in villages across Ylisse. On his journey, he had met this farm boy named Donnel, whose father was killed by bandits and whose village was being destroyed by said bandits. After rescuing the village, Donnel decided to join the Shepherds, even though he was the youngest of them all - younger than even Lissa.

 _He's worked so hard to bring peace_ , Robin thought as she gently brushed some of Chrom's hair out of his face. _It's exactly what Emmeryn would have wanted_. But the young ruler nearly overworked himself the past few weeks and that was certainly not what the previous exalt would have wanted. The tactician slowly removed the blankets from her body and quietly got up with the hopes that she wouldn't wake her exhausted husband.

As she removed herself from the bed, she saw Chrom move. "Robin..." he mumbled. The queen froze. The exalt stopped moving and was back to his normal resting state. Slowly she tiptoed over to her drawers and opened them up, pulling out new smallclothes and a beautifully simplistic, pale blue, cotton dress from the nearby wardrobe. It was one of Chrom's favorites, so wearing it was the least the tactician could do. Robin removed her white nightgown and all other clothing, putting the clothes she had taken from the drawers on. The dress was easy enough to put on; it flexed around her body's frame and was pulled straight down by gravity after it had expanded around her hips. A line of silvery silk was embroidered about the rounded neckline about her collarbone. The short sleeves grasped her shoulders and a couple inches of her arm.

She went out towards the windows, which led to the balcony. The view was beautiful; a bright and warm summer morning in July. In Robin's right hand was a long strip of silver silk, similar to the one on her neckline. She attempted to tie it around her waist below her breasts and behind her back to make it into a decorative bow, but it didn't work out so well. "Gods, how is tying a ribbon so difficult?" she grunted.

"Robin," she heard Chrom call for her. 

 _Dang it, did I wake him up?_ she worried. She looked over at him, but his eyes were still closed. However, he motioned her over with his right index finger, so she came over. She supposed that he would help her with the blasted ribbon. As soon as she got over to his side, the young man quickly turned over and wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her back to him forcefully. 

"Kya!" she cried when she landed on top of the exalt. His eyes were now wide open and a grin gave off his satisfaction. "C-Chrom!" she scolded. "Let me go!"

"Nope," he replied cheekily. His arms locked her in place, no matter how much she squirmed. "You are my prisoner."

"Chrom, I have to go; things need to get done." As queen, she took it upon herself to also help run the kingdom. Though she wasn't sure what kind of tasks would be ahead of her today, she figured something would happen and she would have to fix it.

Her husband shook his head. "Not today," announced he. "I made sure that we would have our first anniversary to ourselves. So unless something is about to be utterly annihilated, it can wait or be done by Frederick. I have the entire day planned out." Robin blushed in surprise. Chrom must have had this day planned for a while now. She felt so glad that they would have alone time for the entire day - no distractions, no problems, no worries.

"Th-thank you," were the only words the queen could respond with. "But could you let go?"

"There's only one way you can be free." He tilted his head and gave her a familiar smile. Robin rolled her eyes with a smile as well and leaned down for a kiss. Once their lips touched, Chrom's grip on her loosened. "Now let's spend the rest of the day together."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a richly warm, late August day, Robin spent her free time with the Shepherds in their barracks. It was around lunchtime and everyone around them ate with the tactician. The exalt was away on business, but would be back soon and would join them for a training session. Even though the continent was at peace, one could never be too careful (at least according to Frederick). 

Robin, with her traditional tactician clothes on (excluding her cloak), sat on top of a table in the barracks and slowly swung her legs back and forth as they avoided the floor. It was due to moments like these where she was glad she lost her memory. Starting her life anew in a place as lively and fun as this made life that much more interesting. Vaike was sparring with Sully, Stahl kept chomping food down, Olivia - as a guest from Regna Ferox - danced beautifully while blushing as everyone marveled at her talents, and Sumia kept tripping over nothing. 

She looked over at Cordelia, who was sitting down next to Frederick at a table a couple yards away from the tactician. _I can see those two getting married someday_ , Robin thought with a smile. _Cordelia deserves someone who will love her and Frederick as well_. Lissa was with Maribelle, making casual talk about something. Robin could see her sister-in-law occasionally glancing at Lon'qu, who was as far away from the women of the group as he possibly could. _I can also see Lissa and Lon'qu getting married sometime_.

She felt an increasing discomfort around the upper part of her torso, as if her smallclothes didn't quite fit her anymore or she had been punched repeatedly near her chest. Her breasts felt sore, which seemed very unusual for her. 

The queen took a bite out of the sandwich she was holding, but the taste quickly changed from its normal goodness to something that tasted like rotten fish. She swallowed that bite, but then put the sandwich down as she began to feel nauseated. Grabbing her stomach, Robin placed her hand on her mouth. "Ew, that was terrible. What is wrong with this?" Before she could continue wandering about the mystery of the bad sandwich, she could feel her stomach getting more and more upset. The tactician attempted to hold in whatever wanted to get out of her stomach, but her stomach overpowered her. 

The young woman quickly bent over and to the right side, releasing whatever contents were inside of her body that wanted to be removed. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over at Robin with concern. _Gods, this is so embarrassing_ , Robin cried out in her mind. She threw up once more. 

Before she knew it, Lissa, Maribelle, and Frederick made it over to her with breakneck speed, slowly bringing her off of the table after she was done vomiting. They didn't question her or anything; they knew she needed to get back to one of the rooms they specially prepared for people who were sick. After her session of violently throwing up, her stomach calmed down. 

"I'm feeling much better now," she told the three. "I can walk on my own, Frederick." The stalwart knight had picked her up like an injured victim and was carrying her across the courtyard back into the castle with more speed than a simple walk. The two healers walked a little behind him.

"I'm afraid we cannot take those chances," he dutifully replied. 

"What if it's serious?" Lissa rhetorically asked her. "Frederick's right - we cannot take any chances."

After she had arrived in the healing wing of the castle, Maribelle and Lissa asked her questions. How are you feeling? When did you start to feel nauseous? Have you felt any other strange things in your body?

After intense questioning, Maribelle told her best guess to the young queen and Lissa was right; it was serious.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chrom arrived home to find out that his wife had been sent to the healing wing. Without a second thought, he ran down the halls and into the hall where Robin would have resided. The prince saw Lissa walking out of a door, sighing. 

"Lissa!" he cried out to his sister, running towards her.

"Oh, Chrom," she replied back with no real shock or surprise. She knew how dedicated to Robin he was. 

"What's wrong? Is Robin alright?"

"I think you should ask her yourself, Chrom."

"Oh, gods," replied he worriedly. The exalt did not like surprises like this. He wanted to just have Lissa tell him to get it over with, but he did as she said and entered Robin's room, expecting her to be lying in bed with a fever.

To his surprise, Robin sat upright in the bed, looking out the window beside her and watching the sun set. She was...smiling. Was she really sick? She looked as healthy as she always was. When the tactician heard the door close, she turned to see her husband walking closer to her bed. "Chrom..." she greeted with a beautiful smile.

"Robin," he said, kneeling at her bedside. "What happened?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary...for my condition."

The prince looked at her with a confused look, as if his wife had gone crazy all of a sudden. "What do you mean?"

"Well, this is just a guess right now, so we can't know for sure. Maribelle and Lissa looked at my symptoms and they've guessed that I...I..."  

"What?!" Chrom demanded.

She took his hand and placed it on her flat stomach. He looked down and then back up at her in shock, eventually developing a smile on his face.

"I'm pregnant, Chrom."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Congrats for Chrom and Robin! They are going to have a child!  
> Rather than write a chapter about her nine months of pregnancy, the next chapter will revolve around the birth of their first child. We will get back to the main plot soon, but until then, enjoy some Chrom x Robin peaceful goodness.  
> I thank all of you who have read my fanfiction thus far and who have kept reading it as I have written chapter after chapter. About 600 hits in a week and a half! THAT'S CRAZY. Then again, so is 17 chapters going on 18 in a week and a half.  
> Remember, feel free to comment! I love reading comments and I love replying to them. Thanks, guys!


	19. Lucina, the Child of Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The queen carried her and the exalt's child for another eight months (the pregnancy was for certain a couple weeks after Maribelle's hunch). After a long labor, the heir to the Ylissean throne is delivered. Chrom and Robin hold their first child for the first time and are filled with untold joy.

"Gods, how much longer will this take?"

The young ruler became impatient, though mostly due to his worry for his wife and unborn child. He wandered through the main halls of Castle Ylisse while his beautiful wife was probably screaming, crying, and writhing in the excruciating pain of labor. She had gone into labors hours before, but Chrom couldn't remember how many. He lost count as he continued his nervous behavior. All he knew was that Lissa would come fetch him once the delivery was successful. Though it was a beautiful April evening, he refused to leave the castle until his child was born.

Would Robin be okay? What if something went wrong? What if his child wasn't fine? All of these questions and more flowed through the exalts mind, filling him with worry. Fear began to overtake his mind. _What if I won't be a good enough father?_ he asked himself. _What if I become like my father?_ He stopped himself right there. He remembered that he promised himself he would never be like his father. Though he couldn't remember much about his father, and the memories only dimmed with each passing year, he knew how much his actions hurt his people, hurt the Plegians, and especially how it hurt Emmeryn. 

"Emm..." Chrom looked at the ground. He would never fully be over his sister's death, nor would anyone, but he tried to live his life the way she would have wanted him to. He promoted peace, like she dreamed. Even though he went around Ylisse, making peace with the villages, there still remained Risen attacks on occasion and the more frequent bandit attacks. Would he never attain Emmeryn's dream? He began to feel like a failure, but the feeling was short lived when he heard footsteps from the other direction.

"Chrom!" his little sister called, running down the hall to meet up with her brother.

"Lissa," Chrom replied. She caught up to him, breathing a little heavily after running down what seemed like several hallways. "Well? Tell me the news!" The young man seemed excited and worried at the same time.

Lissa motioned her head towards the direction where she came from with a smile. "You're going to have to see for yourself."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When they approached the birthing room, Chrom could hear an unfamiliar sound on the other side of the door. He slowly opened the door and found his wife sitting in a bed with what seemed to be a bundle of light blue blankets in her arms. Lissa quickly went over to Robin to join Maribelle and Sumia at her side. All three spectators awed at the sight of what the queen held. Feeling quite a bit nervous and shocked, the young exalt couldn't find it in him to move. Looking around, he could see a tiny tub of water lying on the floor not too far from the bed. Towels piled up in a far corner of the room were covered in blood. His wife's blood. It had him extremely worried for a minute until Robin looked up at him with a bright smile on her face. He, in turn, smiled back and came over, kneeling at her right side. 

Robin herself looked like she had battled a hurricane and barely won. Her face was flushed and her hair stuck to her face due to the sweat during labor. Chrom could see the weariness in her eyes. Her husband still saw her as a beautiful young woman.

"It's a girl," she happily proclaimed. "Our beautiful baby girl..." The baby's squeaky noises were the noise Chrom heard from the other side of the door. 

"Our...baby girl..." he drifted off. The young man could see the face of his new daughter: red and flushed skin, adorable chubby cheeks, and soft blue fuzz sprouting on the top of her head. The girl was covered in drying water, most likely because Sumia and Maribelle, and the other nurses had cleansed the baby before handing her to Robin. The tactician held out the little bundle, insisting that her husband should have a turn with their newest creation. He complied and carefully (and nervously) took the baby girl from his wife, supporting her head with his left arm. "She's beautiful, just like her mother." A tear began to stroll down his cheek, not out of misery, but out of joy - pure, intense joy. This child was _his_ baby girl. "Hello, little one," choked he. "My little princess... My beautiful princess." Another teardrop slid down, enough to the point where the exalt began to fully cry. He helped make this infant, this beautiful child; all of it was hard to take in. 

He took his finger and tickled her nose with it, causing her to weakly squeak. She began to open her eyes. Chrom's eyes widened as he saw what was on her left eye. The brand of the exalt. Embedded in the pupil of her eye was a black outline of the mark of Naga, surrounded by the purest blue of her iris. The exalt couldn't believe it. 

"Robin!" he quietly pestered his wife with excitement. "Look!" He handed the baby back to her mother, to which she gave a silent gasp.

"It's...It's the brand," said she in awe. The other girls came around the bedside to look at the baby. After being looked at by so many people, the girl began to cry. "We still have to name her," Robin announced while trying to calm her newborn down.

The exalt had been so caught up in the fact that he had his own child now, he completely forgot that he had to _name_ the child. He had also completely forgotten to plan this ahead of time with his wife. As he looked at the child, he could have sworn he saw a faint glow around the infant as if it were some kind of aura. _She is a child of light_ , he thought.

"Lucina," he finally remarked. 

"Lucina..." His wife looked at her new child and smiled. "I can see it. It certainly is a beautiful name." The baby kept quiet every time she heard the name. "I think she likes it."

"Then her name shall be Lucina," Chrom proclaimed. The baby began to cry once again, most likely out of hunger.

"I think you should begin to feed the poor child," Maribelle told the new mother.

"Right." The mother pressed the newborn to her open chest and began to breastfeed the infant. Chrom, feeling awkward in this situation full of women, got up to leave the room. But before he left, he kissed his wife on her forehead.

"You did extremely well, Robin," he remarked. "Thank you."

"Thank you," she replied, "for blessing me with this beautiful child."

He smiled and held out his finger to the infant, who instinctively grabbed it tightly. "Goodbye, little Lucina. We'll see each other soon." Forcing his daughter to let go of his finger and giving his wife one last kiss, he got up and left the room with a smile on his face.

"It's a strange feeling, being a father, but I rather enjoy it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray! Little Lucina has been born! April 20th.  
> I hope you enjoyed it and I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable about anything. The next chapter will jump back into the main story after a couple months have passed.  
> As always, feel free to leave a comment, containing either positive feedback or constructive criticism. Thanks again for reading up to this point! One more chapter closer to the end!  
> 3/11/15 EDIT: I decided to make him meeting the baby more emotional, so he's now crying tears of joy. You're welcome.


	20. Aiding Regna Ferox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few months pass after Lucina's birth and turmoil is once again rising, but this time, it is in the neighboring continent. The Valmese Empire has been spreading ferociously. Khan Flavia has requested assistance from Exalt Chrom as the Valmese are attacking their harbors. In order to stop the chaos from spreading to Ylisse and to help repay his debt to Regna Ferox, Chrom goes with the Shepherds to calm this menace and Robin decides to come with him.

"Sire, a messenger from Regna Ferox," the Ylissean soldier said.

"See them in at once," replied Chrom. They were in the main hall, where the throne resided, though the exalt never felt like sitting up there. Emmeryn didn't, so he felt no need to. Robin, as always, stood close by along with Lissa and Frederick. Robin cuddled with Lucina, who was wrapped up in a single pink blanket as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other repeatedly to help their daughter remain calm.

"Yes, milord." The soldier exited the room and in his place entered Raimi, Khan Flavia's second-in-command. She still wore her bulky knight armor, as always.

"Prince Chrom, I come on behalf of Khan Regnant Flavia," she announced. 

"Flavia? Well, this is a surprise," the exalt said, raising one eyebrow. He didn't think Flavia the type to come for greetings or help unless it was something extremely bad. "Is something amiss?"

"I fear so, milord," the knight told him while bowing. "The khan requests your presence at a summit as soon as you're able."

"What's happened?"

"Our western neighbors of Valm are no longer acting so neighborly. The emperor, who they name the Conqueror, has launched warships against us."

Chrom's eyes widened. "An invasion? Are you certain of this?"

"Yes, milord. The khan hopes to meet with you in Ferox, if it please you."

"What do you make of this, sire?" Frederick chimed in. He had always acted as Chrom's voice of reason.

"Ill business to be sure. Raimi, we will meet with Flavia at once..."

"Chrom..." Robin interrupted with a tinge of worry in her voice.

"I know what you're thinking, Robin, but we owe Regna Ferox a great debt. I must apprise myself of the facts there before deciding on a course of action."

Though Robin, as a wife and mother, would have liked Chrom to stay home, as a tactician and queen, she knew that he must act in response to Flavia's request. Flavia not only was a woman not to be trifled with, but they did owe Regna Ferox an enormous debt as her husband had stated. "Nope, not what I was thinking," she replied. As a possessor of all four aforementioned titles, her intuition pushed her to be with her husband, king, commander, and child's father. "I was actually going to suggest we discuss strategy as we travel."

"B-but Lucina is newly born! She needs her mother now." The young father walked over to his child, who began to smile as soon as she saw him and his smile. The young infant had learned how to smile not long before and it always brought so much joy to her father to see how well she was growing up.

"You told me House Ylisse has a tradition of wet-nursing," retorted Robin. "And you and Lissa turned out rather well from where I stand. Lucina is a strong child; she takes after her father. The Brand in her left eye proves it." Chrom looked at the Brand in his daughter's left eye, remembering the first time he saw it as she had opened her eyes for the first time. He looked back up at Robin.

"I'm not just worried about her. ...I'd worry about you as well." Normally he would be completely okay with having his top tactician at his side, but since he has no guarantee for her safety, the exalt would not like to take the risk of having her hurt or worse.

"All the more reason to keep me close at hand, no? Together we can be more than we can alone, remember?" 

"Aw, let her come, Chrom!" Lissa cried. She really loved her sister-in-law's company (especially when she thought of more pranks to pull on her...). "You could use her strategic thinking anyway."

Chrom sighed. He knew he wouldn't win an argument like this with his wife, especially when he also had to argue with Lissa. Knowing Robin, she would probably sneak out to go with them, with or without his consent. "All right, Robin. Just promise to stay safe. Lissa and I had Emm of course, but we lost our parents when we were young. I want Lucina to grow up with her whole family around her."

"As do I. You have my word." Robin loved her daughter more than life, but she was not going to give up either. 

"I will ride ahead and assemble an escort, milord," Frederick announced.

"Thank you, Frederick," the young lord replied. He also expected the Shepherds to join them for their journey to Regna Ferox and hopefully this journey would be quick, as he - just like his wife - wanted to get back to baby Lucina as fast as possible.

"I'm quite impressed, Chrom," complimented his wife with a sincere heart. "You make a fine ruler. You've come a long way from tending sheep!" 

"Ha! Have I truly changed so much?"

The woman smiled at him, tilting her head. Chrom loved it when she looked at him like that. He could feel her love for him when she smiled at him like that and that, in turn, made him smile. "Mmm... In a way, you haven't. But you've grown as a leader, and, of course, as a father." When she said those last words, she looked over at the infant she held, who grinned when her mother looked at her with the same face Chrom adored. 

"I've tried to do my best. My sister left a weighty legacy. I do all I can just to live up to it." 

"And I believe you have, Chrom," his wife replied. "Emmeryn would have expected no less from her brother."

The exalt could feel his heart beat; these two years of being married to Robin had only increased the love he had for her. He didn't think it was even possible, but it was true. He wrapped his left arm around her, pulling her close and kissing her on the forehead. "Alright," he said, releasing his wife from his grasp.

"Prepare to go to Regna Ferox."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Now I'm following the story again! I decided to add a little more romance in this since the dialogue in the game makes it seem like they're a little robotic instead of in love. I mean, the one with Olivia was super cute! Why couldn't Robin have something super cute, too?  
> The next chapter will revolve around either the "Seacomers" chapter or chapter 13 of the game. I hope you enjoyed the story thus far! Feel free to comment and give advice to make the story better. Thank you all for reading this far! I truly appreciate it!


	21. Darkness Looms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After meeting with Khan Flavia, Virion (who turned out to be a noble of Rosanne, a province in Valm), and Cherche, Virion's servant and a capable wyvern rider, Chrom and the Shepherds go out to help Regna Ferox. They encounter Valmese ships coming into the Feroxi port, which eventually leads Robin to have the idea that they could defeat the enemy at sea. The only country on the continent with enough naval power to overcome the Valmese navy is Plegia. Reluctant to go, Chrom goes to the country and meets its new king, Validar, who immediately earns the distrust of the exalt and his queen.

"Greetings, Prince Chrom. Plegia welcomes you."

This dark and mysterious woman, Aversa, was aide to the former king, Gangrel, and now was aide to the new king. Luckily Robin nor Chrom was alone with these two suspicious characters; Frederick was with them as well and that gave the both of them more comfort. 

"Aversa!" Chrom growled when he saw the familiar feminine figure. She wore a skin-tight black body suit that only covered a relatively small portion of her torso, her back, and hips. Markings covered the opening of the suit at her chest and face, and her long black sleeves and gloves shielded her tan skin. Her silver white hair only made her look more menacing.

"What can I say? It seems fate has designs for me yet," she chuckled.

"You serve the new king, then? This...Validar?" asked the exalt.

"I do."

"They say he worships Grima..." Frederick said warily as always. This only made Robin more upset and careful.

"Why yes, of course he is Grimleal. We are both believers," Aversa replied. "My liege often says it was his faith that got him through, after Gangrel's passing. It was a difficult time... But he kept order where there might have been chaos. We had meant to arrange an official visit to Ylisstol, but—" As much as the woman feigned her innocence and sorrow, Robin could see right through her. This woman, though a very powerful adversary, was not one to be trifled with. "Ah, here is my lord now."

A familiar looking figure stepped forward from out of the darkness. He was tall, clothed in Grimleal clothing similar to Aversa's except his legs were completely covered with long robes that nearly touched the floor. He had long dark hair that was chaotically out of place and a grim beard and goatee covered his chin. Most of it was black, but there was a streak of white down the middle. "An honor to finally meet you, sire. I am Validar, king regnant of Plegia."

"The honor is mine, good king," Chrom made a subtle bow to show his respect, but he recognized this sinister man. "...Is it possible we've met before some... Gods! It can't be." A memory of over two years ago came into his mind; the day Emmeryn's assassination attempt was stopped and the day he found out Marth was a girl.

"Oh ho, I'm quite certain I would remember any encounter with Ylissean royalty," Validar replied with feigned ignorance, though it obviously didn't work.

"Psst! Robin!" Chrom whispered to his tactician, trying not to move his lips too much as to conceal their conversation. 

"I know! He looks just like the assassin that came after Emmeryn..." Robin whispered back. As always, Robin was one step ahead of the exalt, which was a good thing since she was the chief tactician of an entire army.

"And you must be Lady Robin."

Robin's head popped up at her name. "You know of me, sire?"

"The whole world knows of Ylisse's master tactician, and of course the wife of the exalt! And indeed, I see the sparkle of wisdom in your eyes."

"But we killed him, Robin!" Chrom quietly uttered. 

"I know but... The resemblance...it's uncanny..." she replied.

"How could he possibly—"

Validar interrupted their "private" conversation. "My, the negotiations haven't even begun and already so much whispering..."

"...My apologies, King Validar. We meant no disrespect," the exalt apologized.

"Chrom? What should we do?" whispered Robin one last time.

"Nothing for now. But stay close," he replied, quickly grabbing her hand, squeezing it, and slowly releasing it in a form of giving security, "and be ready for anything..."

The discussion between Chrom and Validar turned out to be very simple; Plegia would fully support Ylisse and its efforts to defeat Valm. Shocked at this generosity, Robin quickly thought this was a trap, but couldn't deduce what for. Therefore she stayed quiet. After agreeing to the terms, the three Ylisseans were about to leave when Validar wanted to introduce them to another, a hierophant of the Grimleal, who dressed exactly like Robin but with the hood covering the individual's face. After Frederick requested the hood to be removed, it was and the person was revealed to look exactly like Robin herself, right down to her hair part. 

Chrom couldn't tell who felt more shock: Robin or himself. Seeing his wife, but not his wife, standing in front of him and siding with Validar was nerve-wracking. The love of his life on the other side of the battlefield... The exalt began to imagine what it would be like if he had to actually fight his beloved, or at least this impostor. This individual's name, which was also Robin, furthered Chrom's suspicion and secret heartache. He looked at _his_ Robin and saw the shock and discomfort in her eyes. 

Before being able to receive any answers to why there were two Robins, Validar convinced them to leave. As they left the castle, Robin huddled over to her husband for comfort, who in turn placed his right arm around her as they walked. _This is the real Robin_ , Chrom decided. He knew his wife well and the way that other Robin behaved was nothing like his wife. Even though the hierophant hadn't said much to begin with, he could feel a certain darkness radiating from her heart, while his queen's heart was full of love for him, the Shepherds, and little Lucina.

_No impostor could convince me otherwise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! 90% of it was in the game, so not my favorite kind of thing to write.  
> The next chapter will take place right after this one and will be about Robin's relationship with Validar and why the heck he knew about her.  
> As always, feel free to leave a comment! I love reading them, but it's okay if you don't want to. I just hope you like my story up to this point. Thanks!


	22. Of Sacred Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom and Robin leave the Plegian castle and the presence of Validar and Aversa. The young tactician finds that she cannot sleep with so many revolving thoughts in her head, so she decides to go outside to ponder the events of that day. However, she comes across a vision of Validar, claiming some truths that are hard to believe, but feel right. Chrom finds her and attempts to console her, but the two are interrupted when Frederick comes to tell them enemy forces are coming towards them.

It was no use; Robin couldn't sleep.

After hours of nighttime, tossing and turning underneath the sheets, thoughts still scrambled around her mind. Who was she really? Who was that doppelganger? The young woman tossed around one more time, turning to the side where Chrom was. He still slept and relatively peacefully, considering what had happened before. His body kept her warm through night - even though it was summer, this night made Robin feel cold.

The tactician slowly rolled out from under the covers of their make-shift bed, grabbed her tactician's cloak, put on her boots, and exited the tent while being as quiet as she possibly could. She patrolled a little outside the camp grounds, finally reaching its outskirts. The moon shone overhead and gave her memories of the war from over two years ago and how they camped out every single day. But the past two years were different since they didn't have to do that anymore, which she occasionally missed. Her thoughts drifted off to Ylisstol, the citizens, Lucina... Oh, gods, Lucina. Robin supposed this was what it was like to have separation anxiety when mothers weren't with their babies for the first time. It was especially hard, since Robin had been the one to feed her daughter and she could feel literal pain because of that and the emotional pain of being away from her first and only child. What she wouldn't do to see the infant smile at her one more time before heading out on a more treacherous journey.

But her thoughts were once again quickly turned. She thought about the mysterious and other Robin. She came to facts that no matter how much pondering she would do, she would never rest until she got an answer. "...It's no use. I can't sleep. Who was that woman? How could she bear my same face?" she asked herself as if she could organize her thoughts verbally.

"Robin... Heed me, Robin..." a deep voice called out to her. 

"Huh? Who's there?!" The tactician shifted her head back and forth, trying to detect where the voice came from. No one was there but she. "Th-there's no one. I'm alone..."

"Heed my call, Robin..." Suddenly a sharp pain entered the inside of her head, as if a sudden pressure attempted to force her brain and mind into submission. 

"Nngh... This voice is...in my head! Who are you?! What's happening?!" Her fear started to flow throughout her body, the fear of not knowing what could happen next. 

As soon as Robin was able to open her eyes, a dark figure loomed over her. She recognized this figure: King Validar. "V-Validar?"

"Have you truly forgotten?" the arrogant ruler replied. 

"You were...calling me... Augh!" More pain shot through her brain. It felt as though her brain could be crushed with just a little more pressure. "My head! Get out of my mind!" she screamed.

"Heh heh. Such arrogance!" laughed Validar. "You dare take such a tone...with your own father?!

Robin's eyes widened. "...My what?"  _No_ , she thought. _It can't be. How could it be?_ Though she didn't want to admit it at the time, it felt as though Validar was telling the truth and the full truth.

"You are of my flesh, but of sacred blood. You are to serve a glorious purpose! Search deep in your heart. You already know it is your destiny..."

"No... Get...out..." the queen muttered.

"Why do you resist us, Robin? Your rightful place is at my side. Not wasting your time with these doomed servants of Naga! Give yourself to Grima! Let me join your strength to the fell dragon!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, when Chrom was still asleep, he suddenly heard noises from a ways away. He opened his eyes, noticing that his wife was not lying beside him. "Robin?" wondered he aloud. He searched all over their tent and saw that her cloak and boots were gone. "Gods curse it, Robin..." he mumbled. As he was about to go back to sleep (he knew Robin was strong enough to take care of herself and she was smart enough not to wander too far), he heard a sudden scream from a little far away. Chrom knew it belonged to Robin; he would know that voice anywhere. Removing the sheets, he quickly put on his boots and cape, grabbed Falchion, and ran out of the tent.

_Gods, if anything were to happen to her..._ He didn't push the thought. He didn't want to imagine the pain of losing his beloved wife. He kept running. As she came into his view, he could see her panting as if she were in pain, grasping both sides of her head with her hands.

"...Pah! Not this one again..." Robin heard again. "No matter. In time you will see the truth. And that is all it will be—a matter of time..." The man vanished as soon as Chrom came into the tactician's view. The pain let up and she let out pants of relief from the pain.

"Robin! Are you all right? I heard shouting," the young man ran up to her placing both hands on her shoulders and took a look at her expression.

"Nngh... Ahh... Ahh... I-I think so..." she managed to sputter out. She looked up at the figure who stood before her and smiled at the sight of her love. "Yes, Chrom, thank you. I'm...I'm fine."

Chrom's expression didn't light up so easily. He was still worried about his wife. "'Fine' is a poor choice of words!" cried the exalt. It seemed as though he were angry, but it was mostly worry and fear that flowed through his body. "What's happened?!"

"...King Validar, he... He spoke to me...in my mind." As much as she didn't want to tell anybody, Chrom was the only one she could open up to. There were no secrets between them, just like the promise they made to each other over two years ago." He said I was his...his daughter..."

Chrom's grip loosened as his face captured the shock his wife held. "What?!" the exalt cried out. "...Is this true?" _No, it can't be true. There's no way someone like Validar could father a woman as wonderful as Robin..._  

"I don't know... But I also don't know it's a lie. Loath as I am to say it, I felt a...a strange connection, between us."

"Oh, gods... That hierophant doppelganger..." Chrom looked away and tried to regain his thoughts. He looked back at Robin to speak to her. "Could she be the king's daughter, as well? Are you twins?"

"I... I'm sorry, Chrom. I can't remember... But if I'm being honest...it would explain much... I'm not even sure I want to know the truth of my past anymore..." She took both of his hands into hers. The man looked down at her right hand, seeing the mark on the back of it. He remembered that dark marking from when they had just met, and even begun to question it on the day of their wedding (though not as a judgment towards his wife's character). It was the mark of Grima, just as he had the mark of Naga on his right shoulder. Chrom turned his gaze back at Robin's face and saw tears being released from her eyes. The tears rolled down her soft, peachy cheeks and down to her hands as she looked down. 

"Hey, now," comforted the prince. He removed his hands from hers and wiped away her tears, cupping her face in his hands. "There's no need for crying. You are yourself, before you are any man's daughter. Remember that." 

"...Thank you, Chrom." Her husband leaned in closer, leaving her to stand there and subtly close her eyes as he pressed his lips onto hers. The young tactician was so glad she married someone as affectionate as Chrom. Sure he would sometimes do it at the wrong moments, but it's the thought that always counted. And this thought was her beacon of hope and comfort.

As he released, he gave her a smile. "And I will always love you." He wrapped his arms around her waist so she could draw closer to his body and curl her arms around his back. She could hear the heart beat of her husband as they embraced. The exalt kissed his beloved on the forehead and slowly pulled away from her. "Can you walk?"

Robin focused her mind on the feeling in her legs. Nothing felt different, so she assumed she would be good to go. "Yes...yes I think so."

"Good," he replied. Chrom could feel his heart leap for joy whenever he and Robin had alone time together. Though it was relatively seldom, due to his absence many times over the past year while she stayed in Ylisstol while pregnant, he still enjoyed every moment he could have with his wife.

"Milord, we are under attack!" the couple heard Frederick's voice call out to them. The paladin drew closer to the general and the chief tactician to explain the dire news. "Risen have encircled the camp!"

"But...we posted sentries! How did this happen?" Chrom demanded.

"They made a stealthy approach, milord. I've never seen Risen behave like this. Either they are learning our ways, or someone is commanding them..."

"Validar!" the exalt cursed. "This is his doing—I'm sure of it.

"Equip anyone who can bear arms, and tell them we fight for our lives!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know this was kind of long for the chapters that I usually write, but I could feel the Chrom x Robin romance when she found out her lineage. I mean, what if you found out that your dad tried to kill your sister-in-law and worships a Satan equivalent? Yeah, I would cry, too. This chapter also serves as a contrast and shows a different point of view when it comes to who's the pillar of strength in this relationship. So far, it's been Robin, but this comes to show that even Robin has her doubts and insecurities that Chrom helps her with.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and feel free to leave a comment! Make sure it's nice and I'll reply back. Thanks so much, guys!


	23. Parent and Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the battle with the Risen, Chrom and the Shepherds celebrate a well deserved victory. Henry, the somewhat insane Plegian dark mage, joins them in battle and in turn joins the Shepherds. After the last Risen is destroyed, an assassin comes out to attack the exalt. Marth appears and rescues the young man, calling him "Father" while charging out to protect him. Chrom, noticing her choice of words, asks if the two of them could speak in private.   
> Marth's true identity is revealed.

"I don't even know where to begin."

The young female and Chrom had entered a clearing, far away from the others. Small bushes, a flowing river, and a few trees were their only other company. "I already know you're not 'Marth,' though I've nothing better to call you..." the exalt replied. "But I'll ask nothing of you that you don't wish to reveal. Whoever you are, Ylisse owes you a debt beyond repaying." This woman had saved Lissa's life, Emmeryn's life,  _and_ his life; he didn't know how to repay her if he were to start. He remembered how she had said that there was a possibility of paying her back someday, but he couldn't imagine when or how that would happen.

"Thank you, but..." the young woman said, "I think I would prefer you know the truth."

"As you wish."

"Here... Look closely, and all will be made clear." She took a deep breath, raising her head to look forward, and marched so she would end up in front of him. Stopping, she turned around and looked at Chrom. He looked, but couldn't figure out what he was trying to look for, that is, until after the young woman's hair fell out of the view of her eyes. He gasped. 

"That's the...Brand of the Exalt..." he muttered. The Brand covered her left pupil and surrounded her iris. Chrom knew of only one person who had that unique characteristic. "Lucina..." The exalt looked down, remembering his infant child back in Ylisstol. But how could this be Lucina as well? He suddenly remembered the portal on the first day he met her. He didn't know how exactly it happened, but he believed this to be an adult version of his beloved daughter, one from a possible future. It all made sense; that's how she knew to save all three siblings of Ylissean royalty. Looking back up again, he couldn't think of what to say until his eyes went to her Falchion. "You deserve better from me than one sword and a world of troubles...I'm sorry."

Hearing her father's voice speak her name again, listening to its familiar smoothness... The young woman couldn't hold back her tears anymore. Ever since she ran into him in the past, all she wanted was to embrace him, just like they had when she was a child. She turned her head down, avoiding eye contact as the tears flowed down her cheeks. With a form of comfort, Chrom moved his hand towards her, doubting himself a little bit, but eventually wiping her tears away similar to the way he did with Robin earlier that night. His touch was released when Lucina looked back up at her father, running towards him and into his arms. 

"Oh, Father!" she cried while whimpering in his shoulder. Both hands were placed around her back, embracing her as she let her tears flow. "Father..." Chrom placed his right hand around left shoulder, giving her a fatherly affirmation that everything would be okay. After a few minutes, she urged him to let go and he complied. Lucina staggered back to be a few feet away from him.

A few moments of silence pass. The silence would have continued to reign if not for Chrom. "Better, Lucina?"

"Yes. Father..." she replied, regaining her serious composure. "I'm sorry. It just all rushed back at once."

"Father..." repeated the young exalt.

"Should I call you something else?"

"No, it's just strange to my ear," Chrom told her. He wasn't quite used to being a father yet, much less being called father. His newborn daughter could barely smile, let alone speak. He would have to wait a while to hear that word come from her mouth. "...I like it."

"...Father! Heh heh..." Oh, how much Lucina cherished the joy in calling him father at last! 

Chrom brushed his hair back with his right hand, giving her a smile. "Hah! Yes, it will take some getting used to!"

"I'm sorry—Chrom?" Robin interrupted the tearful reunion. She saw them embracing from a ways away and decided to investigate. She honestly didn't believe that Chrom would cheat on her - for multiple reasons, one being in fear of her wrath and the other for being not that dumb - but that didn't stop her from partially feeling the heartache of the possibility. 

"Hmm?" Chrom turned his attention to the woman to his right. "Oh, Robin. What is it?"

"It's just that... You two are out here alone, and Marth is...crying. This is how ill rumors are born." She sighed before continuing. "I trust you, Chrom, but is there a reason you and Marth need to be alone?" 

"Can we tell her, Lucina?" Chrom asked his daughter.

"Of course."

Robin gasped. "Lucina?!" There was no way this could be their daughter and the chances of them sharing the same name were nearly impossible. What sort of trickery was this?

"Robin, this is going to come as a shock, but... I'll just say it: This is our daughter."

"...What?! Have you gone mad?!" the tactician cried. "Chrom, if this is some kind of sick joke..."

"It's true, Robin," the woman in question interrupted. "Please, look closely. Prove it with your own eyes by looking into mine."

Robin obeyed, her eyes widening in shock when she saw the Brand in this woman's left eye. "Ah! You have the Brand!"

"The same Brand carried by all House Ylisse's bloodline," said Chrom. 

"Lucina's eye bears the exact same pattern..."

"Do you see now?" Chrom asked.

"...No, no I can't say that I do. If this is Lucina, what has befallen our baby back at the palace?" She could remember her beautiful baby girl and the day that she left her behind in order to help the world. As painful as it was to leave her infant, Robin knew it was what was best for her. The pain resurfaced as her baby was brought back into the center of her mind.

"Nothing. She's fine," her husband assured her.

"Your baby is right where you left her, and perfectly safe. I am her from another time. From a time that is yet to be."

"You mean...the future?"

"Yes, more than 10 years hence. After history takes a dark and most destructive turn..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After explaining the horrors of the future and how Grima, the fell dragon, was resurrected, the couple widened their eyes in shock (and Lissa had decided to follow Robin and join in on the conversation). Everyone of the Shepherds was dead in the future. Only Lucina and children of the Shepherds were left. Naga, the divine dragon, had prepared a way for the children of the Shepherds to go back in time, but they became separated and Lucina had arrived two years prior while the other children would have just arrived. Lissa assured her niece that they would find her companions, to which the young woman thanked her aunt, but her gaze soon turned towards her mother.

Robin continued to stare at this time traveler in awe, more due to the fact that this was her baby girl all grown up. _She's beautiful_ , Robin adored, smiling. _She looks so much like her father._ "... My daughter..."

"Yes, Robin. Your daughter," replied Lucina.

The young tactician continued to look at her, analyzing every aspect of her lovely visage; this beautiful young lady was a part of her. "You have grown into such a strong and beautiful woman... Chrom and I are truly blessed."

"Thank you..." Lucina hesitated, "milady."

"Will you not call me Mother?"

"I...thought you might mind."

"Of course not! I love you with all my heart!" And it was true; knowing this woman to be her little infant rekindled the love she had for the child she birthed. They were the same person, and thus shared the same love from a loving mother.

Lucina sniffled, holding back even more tears. "Oh, Mother..." She ran up to her mother, embracing her tightly and never wanting to let go. Robin hugged back, smiling with tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks.

"You are the finest daughter a woman could hope for, Lucina."

"Mother... Oh, I've missed you more than you'll ever know..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long one, but I like this one!   
> Robin is reunited with her beloved daughter, but in a way she didn't expect. I like it.   
> Anyway, feel free to leave a positive comment filled with constructive criticism and whatnot. I'll keep posting regularly! Thanks you guys!


	24. A Night with Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days have passed since Chrom and Robin reunited with their daughter from the future. Now a part of the Shepherds, Lucina trains with her father every chance she gets.  
> During the night, before they went to bed, Robin and Chrom have a touching conversation in their tent.

"Robin, put the book down: it's time for bed."

In all honesty, Chrom felt like he had to be a father towards his wife because she would often forget to eat or sleep without his guidance when consumed in tactical books. She sat up, reading her latest strategy book as her husband lay in their bed, which was just a few sheets and their packs as pillows, waiting for her to lie with him. 

"Just a couple more minutes," she replied, flipping another page in her book. 

"You said that five minutes ago," grumbled the exalt. 

"Yes, but I'll really be done this ti--" Before she could finish her sentence, Chrom moved up to rip the book from her hands, snatching her head and pulling it towards him and pressing his lips to hers, much to Robin's surprise. After a few seconds, the tactician gave in and slowly melted into her husband's arms as her heart rate increased. Chrom had tossed the book not far from his side of the bed and allowed his lovely wife to wrap her hands around his neck and his shirtless back. After feeling his own heart beat faster, he forced her away by pulling from the kiss. Chrom had to control himself; they were about to head into war. Both parties breathed heavily in sync. 

The exalt smiled at Robin. "Have I ever told you that you talk too much?"

"Yes," said she with a clever grin, "on several occasions, in fact." She moved her right hand down his left side, slowly rolling over a peachy-white scar running from a part of his front to his back. Robin's expression faded into a frown. 

"Robin..." Chrom's smile faded when she saw the look on her face. He moved his left hand onto his waist, where her hand was placed. His hand squeezed hers. 

"Does it still hurt?" Robin remembered how it took a few months for him to no longer feel excruciating pain whenever it was touched or when he turned his waist. However, she didn't know if the pain was fully gone. 

The young man shrugged. "Not really. Only if I turn really hard will I feel a strange pulling sensation there."

It didn't fix Robin's demeanor. "It was all my fault," she deduced. "I shouldn't have been so careless."

"No," Chrom raised his voice, pulling her hand away from the scar. "Robin, I should thank you for it. It serves as a reminder to always protect you." He kissed her hand as they went down to lie on their backs. 

The tactician snuggled into his warm torso, remembering how tired she was. It was moments like these where she was grateful for Chrom's sudden outbursts of passion to get her to settle down into bed. Her husband played with her hair, straight and down. "So much has happened in the three years since we met."

"Has it really been three years? It feels shorter."

"It has."

"Gods, time moves fast," the young exalt marveled. "Married at nineteen, child at twenty..."

Robin looked up at him. Yes, he was young - only twenty-one years old. "Do you regret getting married so young?"

"Oh gods, no," Chrom replied, almost with a chuckle. He leaned in closer to his wife. "You and Lucina are the greatest things that have ever happened to me." He kissed her forehead. "Speaking of Lucina, that young lady fights with the ferocity of a lion."

"Well, she _is_ your daughter," the queen laughed. "You had a sparring match today?"

He nodded. "She is persistent and clever, just like her mother."

Robin gave him a sassy smirk, to which he grinned with pleasure. The young woman cuddled more with her beloved. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied, pulling her closer. "With all my heart."

"Mmmm," she hummed. "It seems like a lot of other Shepherds are realizing how happy love can be. Lissa and Lon'qu are engaged, Gaius and Sumia, Frederick and Cordelia..." She could go on, but so many of her comrades were going to get married once this campaign was over. "How does it feel for your little sister to be getting married soon?"

"Very strange," Chrom admitted. "But she's very happy and I like Lon'qu, so I wish them the best."

 "True, true, very true." Robin could feel her consciousness drifting away. She wanted to stay up and talk with her husband, but she didn't know if she could handle it. He didn't seem nearly as tired as she did, but she also bet that he felt pretty exhausted. After years of working for peace, the exalt became extremely talented in masking his exhaustion. 

"Sleep, Robin," the young man whispered, pulling one of the sheets over her body. He could feel his consciousness slipping, but he liked it when Robin fell asleep first.

The couple drifted off into sleep while remaining close throughout the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am the author - I take creative liberty in making stuff up.  
> I try to make things as accurate to the story as possible. So I took a shot at Chrom's age and guessed he was 18 to 19 in the first part of the story (I looked at the picture thing of him when he was 8 and Emm was 14), did the math, and came up with what we've got here.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this bit of romance! Feel free to comment or whatever you like! Thanks for reading this far, guys! I really appreciate it!


	25. Family Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom and Lucina once again spar it out, but after their match, Lucina begins to ask her father more about his relationship with her mother, Robin. Embarrassed by her sudden question, Chrom refuses to tell and the conversation ends up in a wager. After the battle is done, Robin comes while watching her husband and daughter bond.

"All right. That should do it for today's training. Let's stop here."

Lucina was just as sharp as ever with her blade, though Chrom matched her level. He could tell that his daughter really enjoyed every waking moment they spent together and he couldn't blame her after what she told them about the future. He didn't want to admit it, but all of their sparring left him wiped out. The young woman fought fiercely.

"Thank you, Father," Lucina remarked. She gave a joyful smile, which was rarely, if ever, seen in the future where she came from. It felt nice to smile again, she decided.

"It still feels so strange to hear you call me that..." 

Her smile quickly vanished. "You don't like it?" she replied worriedly.

"No, no. It's not that I dislike it. It's just...different, is all," said the exalt. "I'm still wrestling with the reality that I have a child, and that that child is you." His thoughts turned to his infant back in Ylisstol. He smiled at the memories of holding her precious little body while she was wrapped in blankets. Chrom would often help her go to sleep, especially during the night. Robin enjoyed it when he brought the baby from her room into theirs in order to calm her down from fits of crying. There was a strange feeling that came whenever he associated with his newborn, reminding him of the conversation he had with Robin a few nights ago. Time does flow fast.

"I see," mumbled Lucina. She wasn't entirely convinced.

"Oh, but don't tell your mother. You know how she can be." Chrom knew that Robin would easily give him what for after hearing that he still had problems about the reality of having their own child together. She, being the mother, had gotten quite used to the fact that she had an infant waiting for her back at the castle and a young woman of the same heritage calling her "mother." 

The princess let out a chuckle. "Ha! It always seemed to me like you told her everything... In the future, I mean... You two were always so close."

Chrom's face flushed red. "Oh, come now," he attempted to joke. "You make us sound like a pair of fawning lovebirds. I'm sure we would never embarrass ourselves, especially at court..." Though he tried to think of a time where he and Robin acted completely professional during a meeting, he couldn't help but draw his attention to the times where they didn't, which happened more often than not. The young man would always hold her hand, look at her during meetings, and occasionally kiss her hand or cheek. The thought made his face's redness become more apparent. 

"So you say, but your blushing face seems a little less certain!" laughed Lucina. "...Heh. It feels good to share a secret. It's been too long. You were always sharing little tidbits with me in the future."

"Was the future me really so furtive? I don't think of myself as a man of secrets."

"Oh, they were just silly little things," explained the young woman, waving her hand a few times as if to blow the subject away. "Still, it gave me a thrill to hear them."

"So the future me wasn't so much furtive, but more of a hopelessly doting father?" As much as he didn't to admit it, he could see himself being such a father to his child. After all, he wanted to be more of a father to his own child than his father was to Chrom and his siblings.

"Well, there was one thing you never did tell me." Lucina looked at the ground, wearing an increasing grin on her face while circling the dirt with her right boot.

Chrom raised his eyebrow. "Oh?"

"...How you and mother first met."

The exalt widened his eyes, still maintaining his flushed appearance. "That's...not the sort of story a daughter needs to hear." He did not want to tell of the time he found his future wife, lying in the middle of a spacious field. The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't believe how much his fate rested upon that day and that meeting. It seemed so strange that a complete stranger would gain his immediate trust and eventually his unconditional love.

"It's certainly one this daughter would _like_ to hear!" his daughter cried. She relaxed her frustrated expression, which quickly turned into a clever smirk filled with the inspiration and determination to get her answer. "Why don't we make a little wager? If I manage to defeat you, you'll tell me."

"...I'm not so sure that's..."

"That certain you'll lose, eh?" taunted the princess.

"Hmph!" grumbled Chrom cockily. "...Very well. I accept." They picked up the training swords and readied their positions.

"Then get ready, Father, because I'm serious about hearing this story!"

"And I'm serious about not telling it—so likewise!" The two family members came at each other with everything they had.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robin kept wandering around camp, trying to find her husband and daughter to call them for dinner. It felt so nice to be able to call her family down for their evening meal like she guessed most families did. Not taking her very long to deduce where they were at, she headed over for the training grounds and found Chrom and Lucina battling it out, but it seemed to be more fierce than usual. 

"What on earth...?" Robin questioned, heading closer. Chrom was on the ground, holding back one of Lucina's blows with his toy sword. He turned his head to his wife. 

"Hello, Robin!" he grunted enthusiastically. His muscles were concentrated on protecting him instead of releasing a relaxing greeting. 

"Good evening, Mother!" Lucina cried joyfully. Apparently attacking her father with a toy wooden sword was entertaining. The exalt quickly knocked her back and rolled to his feet and the two continued sparring.

"Guys, it's time to--" Robin attempted to tell them it was time to stop, but the two continued. She called out again and again, but father and daughter were too busy fighting to hear her. Fed up with their antics and ignoring her, she pulled out an Elfire tome from her cloak and said a quiet chant, releasing a fireball not far from where the two fought, causing Chrom and Lucina to jump back and turn their attentions towards Robin.

"Ignore me one more time and I'll fire another warning shot," she called out, shutting her book with one hand. The tactician would never hurt her family, but she knew Chrom knew better than to incur her wrath and upset her further. 

"Yes, Robin."

"Yes, Mother," the two said the lines in unison. They looked at each other and began laughing, causing Robin to chuckle as well. She walked over to the two.

"Now what was so dang important about this fight?" asked she. "I've never seen you two fight so violently."

"We had a little wager," Lucina explained. "If I won, Father would tell me how you two met."

She gave a tilted head smile to her husband - the same one that he adored. "He would, would he? Well, you don't need to win the fight to hear that story. I'm more than happy to tell it."

"R-Robin?!" Chrom exclaimed. 

"Oh, come now," she replied. "It's not that bad." She had the three of them sit down as she began. The tactician explained the story of him finding her in the field, how he pulled her up and how handsome she thought he was at first glance - things even her husband hadn't heard about, which captured his attention as well. Robin told how Chrom was the one to believe her, despite all of Frederick's protests. Though it seemed a little silly how he could fall in love with an amnesiac with a mysterious past that he found lying in a field, it seemed romantic to their daughter. As she spoke, Robin could see the light and enthusiasm in Lucina's eyes. "That's how we met," the queen ended, looking at her husband with a smile. "See? Not that bad."

"So now tell me when the two of you first realized you were in love," Lucina demanded. She acted like this was story time and she was an eager child waiting to hear the latest story.

Now this was a story Robin did _not_ want to tell, and nor did Chrom. Though it was never brought up between the two, she could remember her love finally coming clear shortly after seeing her commander naked. Chrom's was similar, with seeing Robin in the bath instead, though he didn't realize it fully until much later. The couple looked at each other, developing fully red faces and quickly getting up.

"It's time for dinner, Lucina," Robin announced, quickly heading her way into the mess tent with Chrom keeping up with her fast pace. 

"Don't leave without telling me!" the young lady cried, coming after her parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is based off of the B support with Lucina and Chrom. I added that last part because I wanted a conclusion for Lucina's curiosity. I also found it would be funny if she kept asking more questions about their relationship that they were less than eager to answer.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading thus far! Comment if you like and constructive criticism is always welcome. It will help make my story better. Thanks again!


	26. Disowned by Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many new recruits have been added to the Shepherds, all of them being future children of the current members: Owain, the son of Lissa and Lon'qu, Severa, the daughter of Frederick and Cordelia, Cynthia, the daughter of Gaius and Sumia, along with many others. However, even though many of Lucina's comrades have been found, there is still one missing whom she values most of all: Morgan.  
> Chrom, Robin, and the rest of the Shepherds head over to ancient temple ruins that once was a temple dedicated to Naga in hopes of retrieving a rumored treasure that would help them on their journey to Valm. Robin feels uneasy about this sidetrack, but continues to go along.   
> They enter the ruins and find an aspiring tactician, but before questions can be answered, they have to defeat the Risen that plague the ruins.

"Wh-where am I? How'd I end up here?" 

The young tactician looked around, seeing the insides of what appeared to be some kind of ruins. Broken columns were torn down and thrust into the clear blue water below. The entire place was covered in a shiny light blue that seemed mythical. He remembered he had walked a bit of a distance after waking up devoid of memories, but didn't know how he even reached this mystical place. Tossing these thoughts aside, he went back to his original goal.

"HELLOOOOO?!" he called out, hearing his echo pass through the ruins. No response. "Mother, where are you?!" Still no response. The young man scratched his head underneath his dark blue hair in confusion. After walking around the ruins for a bit, the tactician could hear a noise from not far away. "Footsteps! ...Probably not friendly. And likely more down those stairs... Think, Morgan, think! How would Mom handle this?"

Morgan found his steel sword at his side and held the Elfire tome his mother had given him, readying himself for battle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is this the place?" Robin asked the commander. 

"Yeah, it's got to be. The townsfolk spoke of ruins in these parts that carry the legacy of the divine dragon," Chrom stated, but quickly frowning at the sight of the many enemies that were ahead. "Of course, they neglected to mention that the place is crawling with Risen... I suppose we're just gonna have to earn this treasure the old-fashioned way."

The tactician nodded, but looked over at Lucina, whose mind seemed to be lost from the battlefield. "Lucina, are you alright?"

"Hm?" the princess jerked her head up in response. "Oh, Mother... Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Robin wasn't convinced, but didn't have time to push her daughter, so let it slide this once. She headed to the front lines after assuring her daughter they could talk after the battle. Lucina stayed behind. She wasn't fine. There was still one last member of the New Shepherds that she couldn't manage to find. She scolded herself countless times because this last Shepherd was the most important to her. Lucina had a promise to uphold, and she felt as though she had failed.

The battle began and Robin, as always, came up with the best strategies possible. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"On your right!" Robin called out to her husband, releasing a blast of Thoron lightning from her left hand. Chrom dodged just in time for Robin to come in on his right and strike the Risen in front of them.

"Behind you!" Chrom replied, swinging Falchion as Robin rolled out of the way. His blow hit another Risen that was about to strike his wife, killing it and turning it to black dust.

Robin smiled. There was nothing more bonding than saving each other's lives, after all. Suddenly, she spotted a young man wandering around the ruins from a far distance, also killing off Risen when he could. "Chrom!" Robin cried. Her husband responded by turning to her direction. "There's someone out there fighting the Risen alone! We have to do something!" She pointed at the young man, who was now struggling to overpower a Risen with his steel sword.

"On it," Chrom assured. "Robin, you stay here. I'll take care of it. Lucina!" His daughter, hearing her name called by her father, immediately raced to the front lines to her father. "You protect your mother."

"Understood." said Lucina.

"You better be careful," muttered Robin.

"Likewise," the exalt replied. As soon as he had an opening, he rushed towards the Risen fighting against the young man. This boy, maybe a little younger than Lissa, wore a familiar style of clothing. It was like Robin's: a long tactician robe almost exactly like hers, brown boots, white pants... The boy was also a tactician. Before the Risen could see him, Chrom ran Falchion through its back, disintegrating it into ashes. The young man breathed heavily from exhaustion, but smiled at the man who saved him.

"Thank you..." said he graciously. The tactician stood up straight, eyeing the man who stood in front of him. "Mmm? Who are you?"

"I would ask you the same," Chrom stated. "More importantly, why are you here? This is hardly a safe place to be wandering alone."

"I... I don't know, frankly. I woke up...sprawled in a field. I can't recall anything before that."

The exalt raised an eyebrow and looked at the boy suspiciously. "This sounds familiar."

"I... I think I remember my name? ...Morgan? Yes, that's it. My name is Morgan."

The way this scene played out felt so familiar to Chrom. This boy was so much like Robin, and the situations were extremely similar. "I'm Chrom," he said, placing his hand to his chest. "And finding amnesiacs is apparently my special talent. I met someone very dear to me in the same way. Her name is Robin."

Morgan's eyes widened. "Robin?!" he cried. "Is this friend of yours perchance a tactician?" His voice almost seemed to beg for an answer.

Chrom nodded. "She is. Do you know her?"

"Yes, I know her! She's my mother!"

"Mother?! Then you're our... You're my..." This made Chrom's head spin; he still couldn't believe that he had a child already, but he will have _two_?! But his heart felt differently. This boy was of Robin's blood, of his blood. The exalt stared at the child for a few seconds, not saying anything. _My son..._ his mind wandered. "Morgan, stay calm and listen to me. Robin is my wife. Which means you're likely my son who came here from the future."

"...What?! But I... The future?! Is... Is that why I have no memory? But wait, I remember my mother. So why don't I remember you?"

The exalt paused. "I don't know," he said, somewhat dejectedly. Though he didn't know Morgan, he was still his son and it hurt that he remembered Robin but not Chrom. He didn't let it get to him, though. Robin knew his name without even knowing who he was, after all. Amnesia seemed to be a strange thing. "Do you recall a sister named Lucina?" he added.

The boy shook his head. "No, nothing like that."

"I suppose it's a blessing you at least remember your mother. Maybe something will come back once you've met with her and Lucina. Until then, you'd best come with me. ...And stay close. I don't want you hurt."

"All right, thank you," Morgan replied. "And don't worry—I can defend myself. You just lead the way." The young father smiled in remembrance of his first day with Robin. He could see the boy had potential in both the sword and magic based on the weapons he carried.

_Just like your mother_ , Chrom smiled. It was a strange feeling, seeing how much his now two children acted like their mother in the littlest of ways. Lucina was clever, quick thinking, and persistent, just like Robin. Morgan seemed to take after her independence and positive attitude. All of those qualities he loved about his wife, and he loved about his children. "Now come on," Chrom motioned his hand in the direction they headed. 

"Let's go introduce you to Mother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love M!Morgan so much. I honestly think the female Morgan is a bit of a psycho and male Morgan is just too adorable. That's another reason why I love having the female avatar as my character.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Feel free to leave constructive criticism or whatever you like! Thanks for reading!


	27. Morgan, the Child of Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding his future son, Morgan, Chrom introduces Robin to him, to which she is unquestionably surprised. Lucina sees her little brother and finds relief, but the relief is short lived when she finds out he has no memory of her or their father. She attempts to perk up her attitude because she has finally found her baby brother, but the Risen attack doesn't help.

"Robin... This is Morgan, our son."

The introduction left Robin speechless with her mouth left open in awe. "What..." She struggled to explain the mixed up emotions to her husband, unable to form even the shortest of sentences. 

"Mother!" the young man cried out with joy so intense, he ran up to Robin and squeezed her hard enough where she couldn't breathe. "Goodness, the air here agrees with you!" he announced as he put her down. "You look a decade younger, at least."

 _Strong, just like his father_ , Robin thought while catching her breath. "Whoa, slow down there..." she replied. The tactician still couldn't easily come to grips with the fact that she and Chrom would have another child in the future. She had of course talked about having children with Chrom before they had Lucina and she wanted to have more than one child, but having Lucina come from the future was different. Lucina was already born - Morgan was not. _This must be what it feels for the others to see their future children..._

"...Why are you looking at me like that?" the boy questioned. "Hello? It's me! Morgan! ...Your son? Love of your life and strapping young lad and all that? Wow, you're really acting strange today. Let's go home and get you to bed. Hmm, but which way is home? Is it— Ngh! M-my head!" He grasped his head between his hands in a vain attempt to slow down the pain that flushed through his mind.

"Easy—don't try to force it!" his mother commanded. "Look, I know that Chrom--er, your father has told you that you have probably come from the future, right?"

"Yes...but that's crazy! It's impossible!" 

"Actually, it is possible. Think about it. You said I looked younger, but look again. Closely. Do I look like I'm of an age where I could have a child as old as you? At this point in time, in _our_ time, you still haven't been born."

Morgan paused for a moment, reorganizing his thoughts. "Y-you do look younger, but..."

"It's hard, I know. And you don't have to believe me right this minute. I was in the same position once, you know. If your father hadn't found me lying in that field, who knows what would've happened to me..."

His eyes suddenly lit up with optimism. "Wait, you woke up in the middle of a field, too? Hah! Like mother, like son, huh? Oh, that's too funny!"

Robin chuckled, "...Glad to see you inherited my blithe outlook. Just try to stay close will you?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the aspiring tactician cried. He walked close to his mother at all times throughout the battle, though his sister kept a close watch from a distance.

"Morgan...you're alive," the princess muttered. Though hurt that he didn't remember her at all, she was glad that he remained okay. After their mother and father died in the future, Morgan was her closest family left. Owain, her cousin, helped, but it wasn't the same as being with her little brother. She had always admired her brother's positive outlook on life and ability to find the light in every situation. He filled her with hope in the future. 

"Lucina, are you coming?" Chrom asked his daydreaming daughter while catching up to Robin. 

"Yes, I'll be right there," she replied, running after them. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The battle ended fairly quickly, thanks to both Robin's and Morgan's tactics and Chrom and Lucina's strength. They received Naga's Tear, which would be helpful as it gave a power boost to whoever used it. The Shepherds decided to keep it until it was necessary to use, while Morgan and Robin talked alone.

"That's... a lot to take in," he told his mother with a stressed look on his face.

"It's everything we know about the situation at this point," his mother replied.

"The future I came from is in ruins... You're sure about that?"

Robin shrugged. "One possible future is in ruins, yes. But you may hail from another path. We're fighting now to ensure that no one's future is lost. Unfortunately, if you join us, it'll mean more fighting for you, too." Though the tactician didn't want to put her son's life in jeopardy, his skills and talents were extremely worthy for the Shepherds and they needed all the help they could get to defeat Valm. Her heart was torn, but this was the only logical way. She tried to see it as a way of keeping him safe by always having an eye on him.

"I understand... I'm sorry, but even after hearing all that, I still don't remember anything but you."

The young mother placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't apologize. We'll pull your memory back bit by bit if we have to. Besides, if you start apologizing, I'll have to as well. My past is still full of holes, but I'm getting along. And you will too." She gave him a lovely smile.

"As long as you're with me, the rest will work itself out. Now, come on! We've got a future that needs saving!"

"Hah! You really do take after me," Robin laughed. Though she could see how much of Chrom was in him. His strength, his passion, and much of his skill came from his father. When he took off his right glove, the queen of Ylisse could see the Brand of the Exalt on his hand, further proving that he was a son of Naga, a son of Chrom. The woman tilted her head and thought about his appearance. He did look a lot like her, but she could see Chrom in his face as well, excluding his navy blue hair. His smile was just like Chrom's. 

"You know, now that you mention it..." Morgan added. "There is one other thing I remember."

"What's that?'

"I've always strived to be a great tactician like you. And even though this war is terrible, at least now I can learn from you firsthand."

"Well, you're nothing if not optimistic..." Robin wrapped her arms around him and he did the same to her. "Wherever or whenever you came from, I'm glad you made it here, Morgan."

"Me too!" he laughed.

They both released and his mother grabbed his hand. "Now let's go and talk with Lucina and Chrom. 

"I bet they're dying to have a talk as a complete family."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Chrom already did the "recruit conversation" with Morgan, but I felt some of Robin's needed to be in there as well. It's only fair to have both, right?  
> As always, I hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave a comment! Thanks so much, guys!


	28. Flames on the Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After retrieving Morgan from the ruins, the Shepherds set out to Valm and rely on Robin's tactics to outsmart the Valmese navy. While riding across the sea, Chrom asks Lucina questions about the future and she tells, saying Chrom was killed by someone close to him. The group then discusses strategies on how to take care of the navy. Robin comes up with an idea and the group goes to discuss it, but not before Chrom and Robin talk as lovers.

"Ah, take it all in! Breathtaking... Somehow our troubles feel a lifetime away out here."

Robin could feel the ocean breeze beat on her face and spread her arms out to take in the entire experience. Since she had no memory, it was like her first ride on a ship. Who knows, it could well have been her first time sailing. 

"Yet in truth, we're headed straight toward them..." Chrom said. "I should be grateful the Plegians delivered us this fleet, as promised. But it's my first time on a vessel, and my legs... I never fancied myself a sea captain." His wife turned around to gaze at him and he was certainly not at his best. He looked a little sick, but not enough to make him throw up or be unable to fight. 

"This is my first voyage as well," added Lucina. "In my time, all ships were destroyed. Smashed to pieces, along with their ports." It seemed like she handled the ship ride better than her father.

"Lucina... Something I've been meaning to ask..." the exalt began, turning towards his daughter. "After you stopped Emm's assassination... Why didn't you stay with us?" The young father would have enjoyed having her company from the beginning and couldn't see why she would have left.

The princess looked down, avoiding eye contact. "I felt I had no other choice. I could not risk altering history any more than necessary. I sought only to divert events that directly led to Grima's return." Knowing her mother and father, they would have argued against her given the chance - they would have said she was more than welcome to stay with them - and she tried to avoid that. 

"Hey, so wait—what about the guys who tried to kill Chrom in the gardens?" Lissa interrupted. "What would've happened if you didn't save him?"

Lucina looked back up to look Lissa in the eye this time. "He would have been gravely wounded. And those wounds would have played a part in the tragedies to come."

"Whoa! Good thing you changed things, huh?" laughed Lissa.

"If indeed they have changed... The river of time always favors its original course. Take the exalt's death... I stalled it, yes, but in the end I was not able to prevent it."

Memories of Emmeryn flooded Chrom's mind, leaving his heart aching for his sister. "...You did what you could," was all he could say. _Emmeryn had died over two years ago_ , Chrom tried to reason with himself. _She wouldn't want me to keep hurting..._

"I was so certain it was over. That I'd saved the world. But time simply found another way back to its course. Perhaps the task is simply too great... Perhaps if I'd done something differently? I replay events in my head, over and over..." Even then, she still replayed every event in the past in her head. Emmeryn's death wouldn't have been easy to prevent a second time.

"Don't," he interrupted her thoughts. She looked up at him. "You did your best. And you saved me, after all."

"You're kind, Father. But nothing is certain... Another could take your life. Time could find a way..."

The four paused for what seemed like a very long time. No one said a word until Chrom disturbed the silence. "...Do you know how I die?"

"Only rumors..." his daughter replied, hinting at her worry and sorrow from the struggle to speak. "I was told you fell in a great battle, fought to sway your destiny. ...And that you were murdered— betrayed by someone dear to you."

Robin's heart sank. She couldn't let this happen to her husband, but she couldn't imagine who would want to kill him. He was a respected leader and a great friend to all. No one in his or her right mind would kill him or even think about it. As she thought to herself, a straggling and familiar pain rushed through her head, blurring her vision because of the excruciating pain. "Nngh! Ah..." she grumbled, trying to hold back the desire to scream.

From a few feet away, her husband rushed over to her and placed his hand around her back as a support. "Robin? What is it?"

"M-my head... I don't..." The pain slowly dissolved from her body and she began to breathe normally again. She stood up straight with Chrom's hand falling from her back to her waist. "F-forgive me. I'm fine." From the corner of her eye, it felt like Lucina stared at her, not in worry, but something else. The tactician didn't have enough time to deduce what her daughter was thinking.

"After your murder and Grima's return," Lucina continued, "I took the name Marth and fought back. I prayed to the Hero-King for a small part of the strength he used to save the world. But I need this subterfuge no longer. I choose to fight as Lucina now. The name that reminds me of the strength in the man and woman who chose it." She saw the both of them, with her father still having his hand at her mother's waist. She gave a little smile.

"A strength shared by the woman who bears it," Chrom assured her with a nod. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hmm... Unless we _want_ our ships caught in the blaze..." Robin said as a means of tactical brilliance. Frederick came with Basilio and Flavia, informing the exalt and his wife of the incoming Valmese ships. Their troops vastly outnumbered their own and they had the same number of ships. With much oil, the tactician came up with an idea to get them to safety without endangering any Ylissean or Feroxi lives. 

"Why in the gods' names would..." Basilio cried, but finished his sentence with a calmer demeanor. "Well, I know better than to question Robin. Especially not when she has that look in her eyes. Gods save us from what she's cooked up this time—let's just hope it's not us!"

The tactician looked up at her husband who still stood beside her. "Chrom, I have an idea."

Chrom smiled. "Those words from your mouth are music to my ears, Robin." Another one of the things he loved about her; she could always fix whatever mess they were in and gleam in her eyes when she had a sound and ingenious plan added to her beauty. He had released his grip on her waist and was standing a few feet away from her, trying to maintain a professional appearance. 

"But for my plan to work we'll need to disrupt their chain of command... Our strongest team would need to board their lead ship and kill their general. As our best captain I'd have you head the squad, but you ARE the prince, so..."

"Yes, I _am_ the prince, so no one can order me _not_ to go. I will lead the assault!" Robin sighed. She wasn't quite sure whether she loved or disliked this quality about her husband. He was just as stubborn as she was, which caused for some arguments on occasion, but his desire behind the stubbornness was a quality she loved. She assumed she loved the obstinate side of him as well. The tactician smiled at him and also realized that they were a team; wherever he went, she went and vice versa. 

"Then this plan truly stands a chance." 

Chrom laughed a little. "Heh... So much has changed since we found you that day, lying in the open field... Hard to believe you determine the fate of our entire army now...our entire people. Destiny has a strange way." He brushed with his hand some of her bangs away that had fallen in front of her face.

"...No, Chrom. Not destiny."

He gave her a puzzled look. "What?"

"We're not pawns of some scripted fate. I believe we're more. Much more."

"How do you mean?"

"There's something between us all. Something that keeps us together... Like...invisible ties, connecting us. Giving us strength... _We_ forged these ties. _We_ strengthen them. If we preserve them, or break them, it will be by our choices, not some 'destiny'..."

On some days, it felt as though Robin spoke a completely different language to Chrom, and this day was one of them. "...Robin... I think this salty air might have gone to your head, hah!"

"All right, all right—perhaps enough philosophy for one day... There are still details to discuss."

"Indeed there are! And preparations to be made!" Everyone began to leave the area and go to discuss the plans. Robin and Chrom were the last ones to leave the main deck, so the prince seized this time as an opportunity to talk with his wife _as_ his wife. "Oh, and, Robin..." he started, stopping to have a moment alone with her. She stopped as well once he began and turned her entire body to face him. "If we are all bound by these invisible ties, I thank the gods it's with you." 

The tactician blushed. Even though she knew Chrom loved her endlessly, Robin could always feel the tingle pull at her heart whenever he said something sweet. Not knowing what to say, the young woman merely smiled, coming in for an embrace. He quickly hugged her back, pulling away to force his lips on hers. "C-Chrom, now is not the place or time for that," Robin whispered as soon as they pulled away from each other. She had merely come in for a quick hug to show her affection, but Chrom, being himself, always took it a step further. Out of the two of them, Robin admitted that he was the more affectionate one.

"I-I'm sorry..." he mumbled. "It just felt...right. I'm sorry." Robin attempted to hold in a giggle in order to keep a professional outlook on things. 

"It's fine..." she replied, holding in a smile. "Let's go and discuss this strategy." The couple caught up to the Feroxi leaders and Frederick in another area of the ship.

"Now then, everyone! Look lively! We have work to do!" Chrom cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! I found that this chapter could use some Chrobin (that's what I'm calling the pairing now whether you like it or not) and here we have it. That line "If we are all bound by these invisible ties, I thank the gods it's with you" completely deserves a romantic scene.  
> As always, I hope you enjoyed reading and I thank you for reading thus far (or just skipping around chapters and reading this note) and feel free to leave a comment or whatever. I enjoy positive feedback and constructive criticism so I can continue bettering the story. Thanks again!


	29. Inexorable Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once they defeated the Valmese ships, Chrom and the Shepherds arrive at Valm's harbors and meet a young woman named Say'ri. They rescue her from the incoming forces and find out she's the princess of Chon'sin, a country within Valm. After her parents were killed, her elder brother, Yen'fay, chose to align himself with Walhart the Conqueror's plans of ruling Valm and eventually Ylisse. Siding with Say'ri and the resistance, Chrom and Robin begin war with Walhart, self-proclaimed emperor of Valm. They fight their way to rescue Tiki, the voice of the divine dragon, Naga. Basilio and Flavia go to face Walhart head on, but Lucina warns that Basilio will die if he goes as it was what happened in her future. Going in spite of the princess's warnings, word comes to Chrom and Robin that Basilio fell at the Conqueror's hands. He entrusted Flavia with Gules, a gemstone used to awaken the Fire Emblem's true power, to give to Chrom. Meanwhile, Robin contemplates a plan to save them all from destruction.

"I cannot allow you to go, Khan Basilio. You will die in this battle. I know it for truth!"

Lucina's words rang in Robin's mind as she lay next to her commander in the middle of the night. She couldn't fixate her concentration on sleeping. The tactician sighed and turned over, facing her sleeping husband. His arm was extended around his wife, even as he slept. They had received word that day that Basilio had fallen in his battle against Walhart. Flavia gave Chrom Gules, a sacred orb that would help unleash Falchion's true potential and bring a stop to Grima, the Fell Dragon that destroyed Lucina's future. 

 _Hopefully this plan works_ , Robin contemplated. It was a long shot, but she hoped Basilio could deliver. Looking at her husband made her feel tinges of guilt run throughout her heart, but she didn't want to give any false hopes until she knew the plan could succeed. The day that Basilio and Flavia left, after Lucina made her remarks on the former's demise, the tactician had pulled the West-Khan aside to discuss a strategy formulating in her brain. 

"Are you able to fake your death?" she had said. The idea seemed crazy, especially now when there was little hope that her plan could work. Basilio thought this woman to be crazy, but heard out her strategy. "I don't believe defeating Walhart will be the end of bloodshed, especially with Validar willingly giving us all of Plegia's ships without any form of retribution. It would be helpful if we had someone below the sight of our enemies and what better way to do that than have a 'ghost' nearby?"

After much convincing, he agreed to the plan and would send Robin a letter as soon as possible if he had made it. Upon receiving a confirmation letter, Robin decided it would be then she would tell her husband and Flavia of her approach. 

She didn't enjoy this, not one bit. The exalt and she made a subtle promise that they wouldn't keep anything from one another and she felt like she was betraying him. After much thought, debate, and struggle, Robin decided no one was to know yet except she and the Feroxi West-Khan. A part of her didn't feel worthy to be this close to Chrom, but nothing would have given her greater comfort than when she slowly pulled herself closer to her husband, digging her head into his warm chest. The young woman could feel the slow and steady beat of her husband's heart, enticing her to fall asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Robin, what's wrong?!" Chrom cried out while shaking his wife abruptly from her sleep. "Talk to me!"

The tactician opened her eyes, where she realized tears had been rapidly falling out of them and rolled down the side of her face. Robin was hyperventilating as Chrom tried to calm her down, placing his hand behind her and slowly lifting her up to a sitting position. "C-Chrom..." she managed to spit out in between breaths. 

"I'm here, I'm here," he assured her, becoming frustrated as he couldn't seem to calm her down with ease. "Robin, look at me." He forced his hands on her face and turned her head towards him. Her eyes were looking down. "Look at me," the exalt demanded once more. She obeyed and looked into his worry-filled eyes. His body had moved from beside her to in front of her, kneeling down while trying to calm Robin down.

"What happened?" Chrom asked, this time with a more calming timbre.

"Chrom..." his wife said, steadying her breathing. Her heart pounded, not just from the nightmare she had, but from her husband being so close and kind. Seeing his face that close up reminded her of the dream, the nightmare. Tears strolled down her face as the young woman let out sobs. Chrom, not really knowing what else he could do, wrapped his arms around Robin and pulled her in, letting her cry on his shoulder. "It was terrible," she muttered.

"Is it the same nightmare?" Robin had told the exalt that she had been having the same reoccurring ordeal, but she never revealed what it was about. He had always assumed it was out of fear and discomfort, but Chrom needed to find out what it was if were to comfort her. He could feel her nod on his shoulder. "Robin, you scream and cry about this every night and I deserve to know why. What happened?"

""You...you..." Robin choked. "You were killed."

"Robin, I'm right here, don't worry; there's no need--"

"...By me."

 The prince's eyes widened, but closed as he drew his lover closer. He bent down and kissed the nape of her neck, which he knew she loved, in attempts to calm her down. "I'm right here. I always will be."

The queen lifted up her head and looked into his eyes, to which he gave her a reassuring smile. "We're two halves of a greater whole, aren't we? I would never leave you, Lucina, or Morgan. We shape our own destinies by the bonds we share, right?" He managed to get her to chuckle.

"I guess so," she laughed, lying back down as he lowered himself. His arms propped his body up a couple inches above Robin's. He relaxed his muscles to lean down and press his lips gently on hers. 

"Now relax," he commanded, sliding back to his original sleeping position while holding her in a protective manner. The young woman let out a heavy sigh of relief, satisfaction, and incandescent happiness. 

"I love you so much, Chrom. Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter. I started working on it a couple days ago, but lost inspiration as I am totally pumped to write the later chapters.  
> I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to comment and whatnot. I love seeing comments and constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks, guys!


	30. Back to Ylisstol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shepherds defeat Say'ri's brother, Yen'fay, only to find out he joined Walhart to protect his sister. Excellus, the twisted sage, threatened to kill Say'ri if the alliance wasn't formed. Chrom and the others continue on and defeat Excellus and Walhart, leading to the true freedom of Valm. Lucina relates Walhart to Chrom's father, as both wanted peace and unity and used force in attempts to achieve it.  
> They all return to Ylisstol after eight months of being away. Baby Lucina is greeted by her parents with happiness as she demonstrates her newly found abilities to crawl, sit up, and roll over.  
> Chrom and Robin have alone time, but are soon discussing the next move to retrieve the last gemstone for the Fire Emblem. They both know Grima would rise and they needed the powered up Falchion to defeat the Fell Dragon.

"I know that face... 'Dueling with unpleasant thoughts,' are we?"

Robin came in as her husband let out a heavy sigh. "You know me well, Robin," he replied with a smile.

"I certainly hope so," the tactician chuckled. "I've been married to you for over two years." In her hands was their beautiful daughter, whom they nicknamed Lucy to avoid confusion with their daughter from the future, who struggled to be free of her mother's grasp. The little girl had grown significantly since they had left and seemed to still remember her mother's heartbeat and her father's face. Her hair grew and fell down her forehead and a little behind her head, still thin and a little fuzzy. Robin released her grip on the little girl after bending down and setting Lucy on the ground for her to explore her surroundings: the barracks of the Shepherds. 

"Hey, remember when Lissa first brought me here? When I met all the Shepherds?" Robin noted. "And Sumia... Ha ha! Oh, what a day! ...Actually, that's my first memory, in a way."

"Heh, I suppose so. I wish all our memories since could have been as joyful," said Chrom as he walked over to his wife. He eyed Lucy as she crawled her way towards a table and began to pull on the long tablecloth. Swiftly the father picked her up and forced the tablecloth away from her grip. Unhappy with this new transition, the baby began to squirm, releasing outbursts of cries until her father put her down in a different direction. The baby princess continued to crawl around as her parents talked.

"I know... Some of them have been, though," his wife admired, giving her husband a grateful smile. He in turn showed a sheepish smile as he bent down to pick Lucy up again (as she headed towards the weapons piled in a corner). Chrom calmed her down as she struggled, eventually getting her to settle down in his arms. Though she didn't scream or struggle, the little one fiercely looked around the room with a curiosity burning in her eyes. Robin's smile quickly faded as the memories of the wars came into the front of her mind. "So much needless bloodshed. So many days of pain and doubt and fighting... We would have never made it without you there to guide us, you know."

"Funny. I was going to say the same to you." As he spoke, Lucina began to wiggle and attempt to push her father away by wiping her hand across his face near his mouth. He held her out away from him and smiled at her. She grinned back with her babyish smile, showing two teeth coming in from the bottom and two more on the top. "You want to go to Mommy?" the exalt cooed. "You want to go to Mommy?" The princess let out a strong outburst of laughter with her father laughing along with her. Apparently Lucy learned how to laugh uncontrollably since they had left and it brought so much joy to the both of them to see their baby daughter again. He gently handed Robin their child. 

"I guess we really are two halves of the same whole," laughed the queen. She bounced the little Lucina up and down gently while trying to get her to sleep. The baby calmed down and began to rest on Robin's shoulder. "...It's so nice to be back home," she announced after a brief pause. 

"It certainly is," replied Chrom. "I had secretly hoped we could have more time here than just the week."

The tactician's face turned somber. "We really have to go again, don't we?"

"I wish there was another way," the exalt told her, "but we have to make sure Grima is stopped permanently. We don't want Lucina's future to come to pass."

The child wriggled slightly at the sound of her name and as her father gently stroked the back of her head, but almost immediately went back to sleep. "What happens next, Chrom?"

"I've sent Frederick to search for Sable, the final Gemstone. And I've been reading more about the Awakening ritual. It seems that whoever attempts the rite must brave Naga's fire. If both body and spirit survive the agony, they are blessed with the dragon's power. Otherwise, the candidate...dies."

"What?! No!" a familiar voice called out from the entrance of the garrison. It was Lucina. "...Er, that is... Father, must you attempt this?" She continued to hide behind the walls of the entrance until her parents turned their attention towards her.

"Eavesdropping, young lady?" the lord replied with a short chuckle. 

"Forgive me, Father. I didn't intend to... I came to speak with you, but I couldn't find the right moment and—"

Chrom gestured his hand for her to cease talking. "It's all right, Lucina. And yes, I'll be all right, too. I will withstand Naga's fire. I'm sure of it."

Lucina nodded, but gazed at the sleeping baby in Robin's arms and her frown intensified after attempting a warm smile. In truth, the young woman was jealous of the baby. Deep down, Lucina knew that she couldn't be with Chrom and Robin forever and that only made her want to be their true child instead of one from another timeline. It felt as though the two of them loved the baby more, but that was to be expected according to Lucina. 

Soon after Chrom spoke, Frederick came rushing into the barracks. "Milord, I have returned."

"Yes, Frederick? Did you find it?"

The knight nodded. "I believe so, sire. King Validar has extended an invitation. He says Plegia has been guarding Sable, and now he wishes to return it to you."

"Validar..." the exalt cursed. 

"They sent word to me, milord. They must have caught wind of my search... In any case, Validar asks that you visit him in person, that he might formally present it. Perhaps needless to say, milord, but I don't like this one bit."

The young man shook his head. "Neither do I, Frederick the Wary," he said. "Neither do I. At best, it's selfish political maneuvering at a time when the world can ill afford it. At worst, our run-in with those Risen last visit was no accident... But we will meet with him. Send word at once."

"Milord, are you...certain that's wise?"

"No, but we haven't time to be certain. ...And my sister never refused a diplomatic gesture, no matter how foul smelling. If he doesn't give us the stone, he may at least reveal where it is. ...Don't worry, Frederick. I'm not walking into this blindly. We will make certain everyone is armed to the teeth."

"Then the Fire Emblem, milord—you ought at least leave it behind," suggested Frederick. 

"Unless that's what Validar expects, and he comes to steal it with my best men away... No, it's safest with me, for now. We'll learn the truth of Validar's motive soon enough..." Robin smiled at her husband, proud that he had already thought this through. Sometimes it felt as though he didn't need her tactical advice since he'd become such a great and capable leader. "Robin."

"Yes?" the tactician replied.

"We'll be leaving in a few days once word has been given to Validar of our coming. I suggest that you spend time with Lucy because it's going to be another few months..."

Her smile faded. She looked down at the baby, gently resting on her shoulder. This young princess would have her first birthday the next month; Robin would miss it. "But..." Robin knew that she would come as she wanted to protect her daughter and her husband, but she also wanted to be there for her daughter's first birthday. Looking over at Chrom, she could see the gloom that came across his face. He knew her dilemma as well. "...Right."

Chrom leaned over to kiss her on her forehead in hopes of cheering her up however slightly it may be. 

"It's going to be alright," he whispered. "I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 30 is complete! We're getting close to my favorite part! However, I am going to add a non-cannon side story in between to show more of a relationship between Robin and Chrom (maybe, if I can work out the details). I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to comment and whatnot or just read it; that's fine, too.


	31. A Mother's Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom, Robin, and the Shepherds leave Ylisstol and head over to Plegia to meet with Validar. On the way there, they make camp just outside the outskirts of an Ylissean town, where Robin and Lucina go to browse dresses after Lucina picks out an unsettling dress for her mother. After finding nothing the tactician would be interested in, Lucina finds that her mother did take an interest in a special kind of clothing.

"Well, Mother, I've done it. I've found your ideal outfit. I know you'll love it!"

Robin swallowed her fear. "Oh, goodness. I didn't think you'd find anything quite so quickly... But...I'm sure it will be just fine. I can hardly wait to try it on! Ha ha...ha." Her laugh seemed less and less convincing by the second. The last time Lucina tried to pick out a dress for her after the bright magenta dress and the nothing-but-lace dress, the outfit was in the theme of an octopus. As much as she loved her daughter, this princess had a very unique taste in fashion. 

"And I can't wait to see how it fits!" Lucina showed a huge grin on her face with her arms tightly fixed behind her back. "Are you ready?" After she said those words, she flung out her arms and extended them, revealing a tiny, white dress with a pink ribbon wrapped around it and forming a bow leaning towards the right of the front. "TA-DAAAH!" The garment was lightly held by Lucina as she only held onto the top of the sleeves by pinching them gently.

"...Huh? It's...tiny. Almost like..." Robin paused. "Lucina, these are baby clothes."

"Yes!" the daughter cried with excitement. "I saw you admiring them in the shop when we visited the market together. I didn't understand why, until I realized you must have been thinking of your daughter. The one you have in this era, I mean. Your _real_ daughter."

The tactician's eyes lit up as she tried to hold back the tears of joy. She couldn't find the words to express what she felt. All she could do was press her hands to her mouth while trying to hold back the choking sounds of crying. 

"You could send it to her back at the castle. I'm sure she misses you." 

"Why, Lucina..." 

"I've been so happy here, despite having to fight this war. Being able to see my mother again has been like living in a dream," Lucina remarked. The grin slowly died down as she continued to speak. "I didn't want to wake up and remember that you have a different life in this world." Robin continued to be silent. The princess's eyes wandered towards the ground to avoid eye contact. "Whenever I think of your little girl, I can't help but feel...jealous. I know it's ridiculous to envy myself, but I can't help it. When I saw you and father back in Ylisstol and the baby me curled up in your arms and resting on your shoulder..."

"Oh, Lucina...don't be silly!" Robin cried. "I've thought of you as my daughter from the moment we were reunited! Believe me when I say I love you just the same as I love that child in the castle."

Lucina raised her head in surprise, once again developing a smile on her face. "...Honestly?"

The queen nodded. "Yes! You are a true daughter to me. I want to give you happy memories to make up for those you lost in your future world. And I know your father feels the same way."

"If anyone knows how he feels, I imagine it would be you..."

"Of course!" Robin drew closer and wrapped her arms around her child, tightening her embrace. "Your father and I are alike in so many ways... We're both parents to the world's most wonderful daughter, for one."

"...Thank you, Mother. For everything." Lucina placed her head on Robin's shoulder, just like she had when she was young.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'd draw your forces out to this line, then strike with an ambush team from the woods." Morgan moved wooden little pieces across a map just as he said. He looked up at his mother with earnest intent. The two of them sat at a table in the planning tent where normally Chrom and Robin would discuss strategies (and act as professional as possible, though sometimes it failed). Books were piled on one side of the room and maps were pushed to the other side of the table to make room for their little game.

Robin paused for a moment, observing the map carefully before making her final decision. "Then I would move...here," replied she, moving her pieces around her son's. "Now you find yourself trapped in a pincer movement."

"Crud," Morgan mumbled, but looked up at his mother with a bright grin. "You win again."

"At least it was just pieces on a board. In real life, that would've cost lives," she scolded. "A tactician is responsible for their army's survival, and a single mistake can be fatal. But you cannot allow the pressure of that responsibility to stymie you. Running scenarios like this will help prepare you for anything."

"Thanks, Mother. I'll give some of your strategy texts another read-through. But know this—one of these days, I _will_ outmaneuver you!"

"Okay, we'll see about that, kiddo. But you're welcome to try me anytime. I'm always happy to accept a challenge." Robin and Morgan stood up and the boy walked over to his mother and embraced her. She hugged him in turn and caressed his head like a mother would. "All right then, we're done for today," she said as they let go. 

Morgan headed out of the tent, saying, "Okay! See you tomorrow!"

As Robin also said goodbye, she took a second and then fell back into the chair. "...Phew, that was a close one. I was one step shy of getting completely wiped out. I'd hoped that to be an unattainable goal for a little longer so he would push himself. In actuality, _I'm_ the one who needs a push. Better dust off a few of these books myself." She went over and picked up some of the books from the corner and sat back down, browsing through all of the different strategies. 

After about a minute, she heard the tent flap be pushed open. "Hello, Robin," a familiar and soothing voice called out. Without looking over, she smiled as Chrom came by, leaning down to kiss her cheek and sitting down across from her where Morgan had sat. He saw the board pieces pushed to the side to make room for Robin's books. "Another game with Morgan?"

The woman nodded. "That boy is getting good. He's almost as good as I am; I nearly lost this time."

"Impressive," Chrom remarked. "Our son certainly inherits his mother's wit."

"That he does," replied she. "Hopefully I can keep him from winning for a little while." 

Her husband laughed. "That's sometimes how I feel about Lucina."

"Her skill comes from her father." Robin looked up from her books and saw Chrom with his head propped up by his hand in a fist while his elbow rested on the table. His smirk was the one he would give her whenever he was perfectly happy when they were alone together. 

After less than a minute of silence, Chrom stood up. "Well, it's getting late. Did you want to retire to our tent?" he proposed. 

The young woman sat up straight. "Wait, it's already night?" Her husband gave a nod. 

"You are always lost in your books. Now come." He extended his hand to his wife. Pulling her up, the two exited the planning tent after blowing out the candle that had deceived Robin into thinking daylight was still shining. As they walked side by side, Chrom leaned down and whispered to her,

"You really are an excellent mother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I thought I should put in a support conversation from Lucina and I figured that since we hadn't heard from Morgan in a while, I'd put in his conversation as well.   
> I hope you all enjoyed it! Feel free to leave (constructive) criticism and all that!


	32. Arguments Ensue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shepherds continue to head out towards Plegia.  
> Robin finally reveals to Chrom that while at Ylisstol, she received a letter from Basilio indicating that he was indeed alive, thanks to Lucina's warning. He went into hiding to avoid the eyes of Validar and the Grimleal. She tells Chrom more of her dream and predicts that it would be a mistake to bring the other four Gemstones to the throne of Plegia. The exalt agrees and replaces the real Gemstones with fake ones.

"Are you serious?"

Robin nodded, avoiding the prince's gaze. It was obvious that he was a bit upset with her for not telling him everything before, given the tone he was using with her. "Basilio is alive and well."

"And you decided to hide this from me until it was convenient for you?" The two of them stood alone in the planning tent; no one was there to hear Robin's plan nor hear their argument. 

"I didn't mean to hide anything," admitted the tactician dejectedly. "I just didn't know the right opportunity to tell you anything."

Chrom sighed angrily. "Why, Robin?" he questioned with a straight face. "You should have told me. I'm not simply your commander; I'm your husband."

"And possibly have a chance of crushing hopes in case this plan didn't work?" Robin's tone rose as she looked at him with a determined look on her face. _He's not understanding..._ she thought angrily. _I was trying to protect him._

"I'm not sure I would have been more crushed by the loss of hope than my wife keeping secrets from me!"

"I don't understand why you are getting so upset by this!" grunted Robin ferociously. "I'm telling you the whole story now, isn't that enough?!" They both stood there in silence as Robin breathed heavily in the heat of the argument. Chrom moved his eyes away from her. He didn't want to argue and he certainly didn't want to argue anymore than they already had. 

The tactician took a closer look at her husband's eyes - though they weren't directed at her - and realized that he didn't feel anger; fear and sorrow were apparent on his countenance as she had seen a similar look on his face after Emmeryn died. She took a deep breath, normalizing her breathing and eased her expression. "Chrom..." she began. She closed in and quickly wrapped her arms around his torso, digging her cheek into his chest. "I'll always be at your side. Always."

Shocked by his wife's sudden gesture, it took Chrom a few seconds to hug her back. He had felt depressed by his wife's antics, but he had also felt fear and the thought of her keeping even more secrets only made his discomfort increase. He thought that there were no secrets between the two of them, just like they had discussed almost three years ago. His heart had ached, but now, with the firm and reassuring hug of Robin, his heart leaped for joy. "I'm sorry for not telling you," Robin admitted. "It was wrong of me."

Hugging his wife in turn, the exalt replied, "I'm sorry, too. For getting mad and upset. I should have trusted you. You've always known best in the past, after all."

Robin let out a giggle, lifting up her head and looking up at him, quickly kissed his lips, to which he complied. When they parted, the young woman could see his face flush red with a sheepish smile. She pulled away from his embrace, a little embarrassed because they were supposed to be planning during their strategy meeting, not acting all lovey-dovey when no one was watching. 

"So...umm," she stammered, walking over to the planning table. The area was covered in maps, severely used books, and wooden pieces pushed over to the side. "Where was I..."

"Umm, you were talking about how Basilio is still alive and acting as an undercover agent of sorts." She could tell Chrom was just as flustered as she was, though more likely because of her reaction. Knowing Chrom, he would have been fine with just being together without talking about war strategies and whatnot. However, there was no time for such luxuries.

"R-right." Robin regained her composure after taking a deep breath and continued. "So Basilio sent me a letter while we were at Ylisstol, validating his survival of the battle with Walhart. I figured since we have someone whom everyone thinks is dead, we could use that to our advantage."

The lord nodded. "So only you, Basilio, and myself know about this strategy?

"Yes. I plan on telling Flavia as soon as possible. She will be working with the West-Khan as we put the plan in motion...if it's all right with you, Chrom."

"Of course. I think I see where this is going."

"We can't bring the Gemstones to Plegia; that's like waving a steak in front of a hungry dog."

"Wait, why would Validar need the Gemstones? They're only use is for unlocking Falchion's true power, right?"

Robin shook her head. "This whole plan...it revolves around the dream--the nightmare I've been having. I don't think it's merely that. In this dream, I saw Validar with the Fire Emblem, filled with the Gemstones, resurrecting Grima."

"Well, let's take out the Gemstones then!" He pulled out the Fire Emblem, resembling a diamond-shaped shield, readying to pull out the well-placed stones, but Robin quickly stopped him.

"No, Chrom," she scolded.

"What? Why?"

"Validar could be watching our every move. We need to have Basilio take the stones out; he won't expect a dead man to remove the stones and replace them with fake ones."

Chrom stood there in silence, releasing the Ylissean treasure. "Are you sure Basilio can do this?"

The tactician nodded. "I do. He's our only chance right now. I will go and tell Flavia of this and have her meet the Khan, where he will come and remove the stones. We will be safer that way."

"Robin, I have full faith in you and this plan _will_ work."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. Gosh. This chapter was so hard to write. I attempted to have them argue because no couple is perfect, not even Chrobin.  
> And I also feel like there is the occasional inconsistency in the game, so I did my best to explain how I envisioned it. Like how would Robin tell Basilio the plan? How would she know he's alive? How did Validar not find out? Can he only see what she does and not what she says? Chrom seemed to know about it later on, so it's all very confusing.  
> If you don't like my interpretation of what happened, I don't really blame you, but deal with it for now. Writing such a detailed story is frustrating as I have to look up every inch of the story all over again and be careful not to miss anything.  
> Anyway, enough of my ranting. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and if not, I'm sure the next one will be better. Stay tuned!


	33. Posession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shepherds arrive at the Plegian castle after Basilio keeps his promise and removes the Gemstones from the Fire Emblem, replacing them with false ones and hiding with Flavia. Just as Robin suspected, Validar had set up a trap for the Ylissean allies and ordered the exalt to be killed. Running for their lives, Robin and the rest of the Shepherds execute the former's escape plan, but the group is quickly apprehended by Validar.

"Almost there! The exit is just— Wait. Do you feel..."

Chrom stopped running, along with Lucina and Robin, who were by his side while Morgan had stayed with the Shepherds to protect them from behind. Right in front of him, out of thin air, appeared Validar, who immediately cast a spell to inflict the exalt with pain. The shock of the spell caused him to fall to his knees. "Hnrgh..." he grunted in pain.

"Run all you like—you can't escape fate," teased the Plegian king. "Don't you know that?"

"Father!" cried out Lucina in worry. 

"The Fire Emblem. Give it freely, or it will be taken."

"Just try it!" yelled the prince. 

"Heh heh... I won't need to do anything..." His eyes wandered off towards Chrom's tactician companion. "Robin!"

As he said her name, an excruciating pain surged through Robin's head, causing her vision to become clouded and rendering the rest of her body numb. "Nngh! Ahh..." cried out the young woman. 

"Robin?" Chrom groaned with concern for his wife. 

"Seize the Emblem and bring it to me."

Robin breathed heavily, trying to quench the pain. "Nngh, no, I... Aarrrgh!" The pain increased drastically with her defiance. A strange force from inside her carefully and steadily moved her legs so she could walk over to her husband.

"Robin... What are you...doing?!" the young man exclaimed. But it was of no use; Robin had no control over her body. A strange tormenting feeling raised her right arm, aiming at the Ylissean treasure from Chrom's side. The exalt was helpless to stop her because of the sudden attack of Validar from before. Her hand slowly caressed his torso, moving towards the Fire Emblem. Normally this would have been a more pleasurable experience because of the sensation of her touch, but the situation caused for fear and anger at Validar. Her hand reached the objective, clenching it between her fingers and removing it from Chrom's possession. While this was going on, Chrom could see Robin's emotionless expression, as if she didn't exist inside that body. 

After pulling away from the injured young man, his wife handed the Fire Emblem to her father, who proceeded to place Sable, the white Gemstone, into the socket on the top left. "Well done, my child. At last, the Fire Emblem belongs to me. And with my Gemstone, it is complete! Now, to set the Table and perform the rite..." He disappeared into the darkness, leaving Robin, Chrom, and Lucina alone.

"C-curse you, Validar! Nngh..." Chrom mumbled, groaning in pain once more. 

"Ah! Nngh...ahh..." Robin's excruciating headache began to dissipate. When she had full consciousness, she noticed the Fire Emblem was gone along with Validar. "What have I...done?!"

"Robin! We must go!" The young man stood up, having a little trouble, but had help from Lucina.

"Chrom, I'm sorry! I don't...know what came over me... I'm so sorry!"

"I know you are, but right now we need to focus on getting out of here!" To Robin, it was almost as if he acted like it wasn't her fault at all - as if she had been a different person just seconds before.

"...Understood."

The three, along with the Shepherds distantly behind them, ran towards the exit of the castle to make their escape.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What I did... It's...it's unforgivable," muttered Robin with despair. They were now outside of the castle, away from the danger of the Plegians and Frederick was now with them.

"Enough of that, Robin. Save your energy for helping us track him down," Chrom scolded. He was not in a good mood, nor should he be according to Robin. He had every right to be upset, even angry, at her. Their treasure had been stolen; the one thing that could help them defeat Grima was gone.

"No, I... You must leave me behind. He could use me again..." The tactician raised her head and looked at her husband straight in the eye with a tear running down her cheek. "I can't be trusted! This cursed blood in me must somehow give...my father...dominion over me..."

The exalt shook his head, revealing a warm smile towards his wife. "But he never had full control... You can fight it, Robin. And if he expects you to blindly obey, that might be the surprise we need." He had no time to be upset with her, so he figured the best thing to do was to comfort her in whatever way he could. 

"Chrom, you...you put too much faith in me." Though he was her husband and to have faith in one another was one of the promises they made to each other, she didn't really desire that trust as she felt unworthy to be held accountable for that faith. 

"Get back on that horse, Robin. You can't give up now!" cried Frederick. 

"But you're not listening! I told you, I'm not—"

"The deed is done," admitted the exalt. "But you can still try to undo the damage. It's not too late!"

After a bit of serious contemplating, Robin nodded her head. "All right. I'll...I'll try."

As they discussed this, Lucina kept silent while turning around to leave the area.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooooo! Next chapter is going to be a good one!   
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I tried to put in how Robin felt during the possession time, so what you see is how I interpreted it.   
> Feel free to leave a comment, especially if it's about a grammatical error or something doesn't make sense and whatnot. I have made some edits to chapters, especially chapter 10, so make sure to take a look at that.   
> Thanks, guys! Keep on reading and I'll keep on writing!


	34. Lucina's Judgment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin notices that Lucina had vanished and goes to follow her. Lucina asks if they could talk in private, where she reveals suspicions. A dramatic and climactic moment unveils before Chrom comes in to stop the two young women.

"Beg pardon, Mother. Might I have a word?"

"...Lucina. What is it?" The two females walked into the opening of a field. The sun was setting, leaving an orange tint across the grass and on their skin. Robin was concerned with her daughter's recent and quiet behavior and this was possibly an entrance into Lucina's mind.

"It's about Father," Lucina stated, avoiding initial eye contact with her mother. "I have memories of him, you know. From when I was little. Before he...died."

"I see..."

"He was courageous, and kind, and everyone spoke fondly of him. People say he was brave up until the very end. I always yearned to know him better. And now that I do... I can see that the world will be robbed of a very great man. ...I won't allow that to happen."

Robin could confirm the compliments from Lucina about her father; Chrom was an extremely great man, brave, strong, and kind. "I understand. You love him." She tilted her head and gave her a warm smile, remembering her memories of the man. The bathing incidents, though embarrassing at the time, were as heart warming as any time they spent alone together. Their wedding day, their anniversary, their baby's birth... All of these memories confirmed one thing: Robin loved Chrom. "..As do I."

Lucina's face turned grim. "Mother, I... Please, forgive me..." Gripping her sword, Falchion, from her side, she pulled it out slowly and pointed the tip at her own mother.

The tactician's eyes widened with initial shock. "Lucina?!" she exclaimed.

"Stay where you are, Mother!" the princess cried out. Robin could sense the seriousness and the determination from her tone. "I have no choice. I must kill you."

"What?! What madness is this?!"

"In my future, you... You kill Father."

The tactician began to shake her head with the occasional tear running down her face. "No! That's insane!" her voice becoming louder. "Why would I kill Chrom?" It couldn't be true, could it? As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she remembered her dream - the one where she murdered her husband. No, that couldn't be. 

"I was not certain myself, until now... I knew he had been killed by his closest friend. Having witnessed your bond with him, I doubted it could be so... But today's events make it clear. You are at Validar's mercy. I suspect it's he who forces you to take Father's life, and very soon..."

"Lucina, wait." Robin wanted to explain that things _could_ change, how her ties with her husband would stop her from killing him, but nothing could sway the princess's mind.

"If Father is right, then we can change our fates. If this dark future is to be averted, sacrifices must be made." Lucina gripped her sword tightly, clenching her teeth together as if in pain. "I am sorry, Robin! I know this is matricide, I... I know that..."

"Lucina, you don't have to—"

"Don't make it harder! It...will be swift and painless. If you hold any love for Chrom, then let this be done..."

Robin let out her hand, as if to stop her, but then pulled it back. _What if this is the only way to save the future?_ she thought. She would do this for Chrom, for her daughter back in Ylisstol. She would do anything for both little Lucy and Lucina and also Morgan. She knew that if she died here, Morgan would not be born, so her heart weighed heavily on the decision. "...... My life is yours. It always has been," Robin remarked.

Lucina's eyed her, pursing her lips tightly and letting tears flow down. "D-don't say that, Mother! Don't! That only...makes it harder."

"I would give my life for Chrom. ...And for you." Every day, the tactician put her life on the line for her husband. She would not stop this day. Her undying love for her daughter made it impossible to _not_ give her life for the good of the future.

"Mother, please..."

"I know you will be quick about it. I love you, Lucina."

Hearing her mother say those words nearly brought the princess to the breaking point. "M-Mother..." Could Lucina do it? Could she actually kill Robin, her own mother?

The tactician extended her arms, becoming the number one target for Falchion. "...I'm ready. Do what you must."

"I... I..." Robin remained silent, awaiting her death. Lucina lowered her sword, letting the tears run down her cheeks. "Curse me! I can't do it! I love you too much! I'm sorry, Mother. I'm so sorry! P-please forgive me!"

"My poor girl...there's nothing to forgive."

As soon as Lucina lowered Falchion back to her side, the exalt entered the the area. "Are you done, Lucina?" Chrom said with anger hidden in his tone.

"Father! I... I can explain!"

The young man shook his head. "No need. You're not the only one who can eavesdrop. I heard every word. Lucina, I know your heart is in the right place... But I trust Robin." His mind turned fondly towards the memories he made with her. The day he found her in the field, the day he found out he was unconditionally in love with her, the day he confessed his love for her and how she requited his love. His heart needed to push him to protect her, no matter the cost. "You cannot shake my faith in her. Robin and I have held fast through good times and ill... We swore to be two halves of a greater whole. You underestimate the strength of those ties, the bonds we share. I believe in them more than some foretold 'destiny.'" 

Robin sighed in happiness; her husband remembered their conversation on the ship towards Valm. He believed her. They really were two halves of a greater whole.

"This is easier to say when you haven't seen it yourself..." Lucina remarked solemnly.

"Lucina, aren't our ties stronger here now than they were in your future? You said so yourself. In this flow of time we are bound tighter than ever, you and I. Not just as father and daughter... But as friends. We can change things—we already have...and we will again."

"...Very well, Father. Mother I...I hope someday you will find it in your heart to forgive me... And I pray... That is, I trust the both of you will prove me wrong. That the future will crack and fall apart before our family bond ever does."

The young woman began to walk away, leaving Chrom and Robin alone in the field. Chrom went over to his wife and pressed her against his chest. The tactician wrapped her hands around his waist. "I love you, Chrom." From the corner of his eye, he could see her smile. He leaned down to kiss her head.

"I would never let anything happen to you. I promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally think mothers would be willing to die for the future of their children, so that's why I had Robin pick the "yes" option. I hope you liked it.  
> Thanks for reading thus far! Feel free to comment and whatnot; I always appreciate it. Thanks again, guys!


	35. Reluctant Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ylisseans chase down Validar to the Dragon's Table, where the Fire Emblem will be used to resurrect the Fell Dragon, Grima. They run into Aversa, who stalls them as Validar makes preparations for the ritual in order to bring back Grima. They defeat Aversa and are about to head into the area where the ritual will take place. Many of the Grimleal, seemingly hypnotized by the preparations for the ritual and the possible return of their master, head towards the Table where they will be ready to sacrifice themselves to bring the Fell Dragon back. Chrom and Robin are about to enter further into the building, where Robin stops and asks her husband for a favor.

"Are you ready, Robin?"

This was going to be their final battle if everything went right according to Chrom, but Robin didn't feel the same way. With the thoughts of Lucina's words coursing through her mind from the other day, about how she was the one to kill the exalt, the reoccurring nightmare pierced her mind. She did kill Chrom in that dream. Was there a way to stop herself? "Chrom, first I have a favor to ask..."

He turned to his left to look over at her. She dared not meet is eye for what she was about to tell him. "As long as it's not a request to leave you behind," he said. 

"It's not...though I did consider it," the tactician replied. She tried to approach this delicately, as she knew that Chrom would never agree to what she wanted willingly. "I can't hurt you if I'm not there in the first place. But...I can't run from Validar forever. And if I'm going to overcome him, my best chance is with you by my side." She knew that all of the trials they went though over the years, all of the battles, the deaths, the victories, had led up to this moment. Robin was able to make it through each one of them with Chrom at her side. This time she would do the same.

"That's more like it," the prince let out a brief chuckle, though shortly lived. He saw that she still wasn't meeting his eyes. What could she possibly ask for?

"But therein lies the favor... If Validar somehow does gain control over me... Promise me..." There was no gentle way to put this, the tactician surmised. "Promise me you'll cut me down."

Chrom's eyes widened with astonishment. _No..._ he repeated in his mind. "You can't mean that," he grunted. "You can't _ask_ that! I couldn't kill my own wife!"

Robin shook her head. "I'll resist him with all that I am. I promise you. But there are other people involved here, too many people to ignore... You have a duty to protect them as well."

She was right, as always. Chrom, as the exalt of Ylisse, had the duty of protecting his people, so he couldn't let his heart get in the way of that. Emmeryn sacrificed her life for the good of the people; Chrom would have to sacrifice Robin's. He clenched his fists in anger. Anger at Validar, anger at the world for its cruel sense of fate, anger at himself for allowing the chance that he would have to kill the woman he loved. " ...You're right. The words burn my tongue, but you're right. But you mustn't let Validar seize control! Whatever it takes. Whatever the cost!" He tried to secure any hope and light he could. He had always imagined living a long and happy life with his beloved, having a larger family, raising Lucina and Morgan (when he would be born), but the thought that they could have their time together cut short ached his heart. 

"I'll try. You know I will." The two marched into the giant hall that was laid out in front of them, awaiting the ominous force that stood in front of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Validar!" Chrom yelled over at the figure standing over a giant alter. The figure of Grima stood as a statue and hovered over the table that lay below it. The rest of the Shepherds stood behind as Robin and Chrom faced off with Validar.

"Chrom..." chuckled the sorcerer. "Come to witness the glorious culmination of your failure? How nice. I have the Fire Emblem, and the Dragon's Table is set for a feast. I will return Grima to this world!"

"You'll _destroy_ the world! Lucina has seen it!" the exalt retorted.

"Then I pray today's spectacle lives up to her nightmares! The Awakening rite is not only for exalts and Naga, you know. With it, I'll arouse Grima! The fell dragon needs only a mortal vessel, which you so kindly brought along..." His gaze turned over to his daughter, Robin.

The tactician opened her eyes widely in shock. "...Oh, gods. He means me," she stuttered. Chrom looked over at her and tensed up, sidling closer to Robin in a protective way.

"You ken quickly, Robin. That's my girl."

"No! Never!" she screamed. "I'll die first!"

"You carry my blood—the blood of the fell dragon. His soul slumbers within you. And now the time has come to awaken you both!"

Robin's heart stopped. It couldn't be. How could it be? "...Wh-what?! _I'm_ Grima? _I'm_ the fell dragon?!"

"The Grimleal have worked for generations to create someone like you... A vessel worthy of our master. Simply having Grima's blood in your veins is not enough... My father was not worthy, nor was his father before him. Even I was not able to accept Grima's most sacred gift. But you? You had all the makings. You were perfection!"

 _This can't be right...can it?_ thought Chrom. He was probably just as surprised as his wife to find this out. If this were true, this meant he _married_ the fell dragon. He gave his _heart_ to Grima. 

"N-no..." Robin muttered.

"If your wretched mother hadn't been seized by weakness and fear... She betrayed us—stole you from your crib, and fled with you in the night! I know naught of your life thereafter; but all that matters is your return. That you are here is _proof_ of your purpose! it is why you still draw breath!"

"Robin... We are going to stop this. This can be stopped." He turned his attention back to Validar. " _You_ can be stopped!" He didn't care about whether or not Robin was really the fell dragon. Validar needed to be stopped then and there if they wanted to avert Lucina's horrible future.

"You may have killed me in some future past, but I am stronger this time! With the power of the Dragon's Table flowing through me, I am unstoppable."

"You're not the only one stronger this time! Right, Robin?" He turned over to look at his wife, a smirk showing on his face, but it quickly faded as he saw Robin shaking subtly. "...Robin?"

"Nngh..." she grunted in pain. 

Chrom could tell she was fighting off the force that attempted to take her over. How long she could fight it off, he didn't know. "Stay with me, Robin! You're not beholden to this fiend! You can fight it! We've all seen how strong you are! We've seen what you're capable of! Don't let him shake your resolve!" Her strength had always been something the exalt admired. Her heart was always on the right path, it seemed, and it wasn't easily swayed. 

"C-Chrom, I... I don't know."

Validar growled, "Enough! This sorry display ill befits the heir to our master's power. And you, Prince—your sad poem sounds lovely, but it will not alter destiny."

"They're more than just words!" argued Robin. She could feel the pain slowly dissipate, but it never fully let go. The tactician couldn't lose now, not after everything she had done to get up to this point. 

"Be still now, my daughter..."

"My life did not begin with you. It began the day Chrom found me in that field," the young woman replied. She could still remember the day she met her husband, and the thought of him kept her strong. "I have been all over this world, and I have helped change it—for the better. I have fought and laughed and bled with my friends, and _that_ is what matters! The ties we forged, the bonds we share—they are of a power greater than Grima."

"A ludicrous idea, as you will know better than anyone soon enough..."

"We do agree on one thing: my life so far has all been in preparation for this moment... When I kill you or die trying!"

"Heh heh heh. You have your father's courage, but your mother's judgment... Very well, pup. Come! Do your worst! Come at me with all you have! There is no damage I can do your body that the fell dragon cannot repair!"

Robin looked over at her husband, who had already unsheathed Falchion and they came at Validar with everything they had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Sorry I haven't written anything in a while. Things have been very busy as of late. I had tried to work on a filler chapter, but felt like it would have been out of character for everyone in it, so I trashed it. I also got rid of the Lucina x Inigo pairing in the description. I had been thinking about it for a while since I didn't know how to add it into the story, so I got rid of it. I might add it in a separate short story or something, but it isn't in this work.  
> We've reached 2000 hits!!! Thank you so much for your support! I hope that you will continue to read as we get closer to the end. Feel free to comment and leave feedback and whatnot. Stay cool!


	36. Invisible Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom and Robin engage Validar in a final showdown. However, all of it seemed so familiar to Robin, as if she had experienced it all before. The battle continues and eventually Robin is forced to do the unthinkable. Will Chrom and Robin both survive this battle? Or will one be killed?

The battle seemed familiar...too familiar.

Chrom ran ahead of Robin and began slashing at Validar, but only to have each of his attacks miss the target. One strike. Two strikes. On the third attempt, Validar blocked it with his palm covered in dark magic. The two were in a stalemate, each one struggling to obtain the upper hand. Robin could somehow remember the layout clearly, as if she had seen it yesterday. The altar, the large room with the ceiling reaching towards the heavens, the dark purple strip of carpet running below them - everything tapped into the tactician's memories. Or were they merely dreams?

Disregarding her thoughts and focusing on the battle, Robin opened her Thoron tome, quickly chanting the inscriptions on each page while feeling the buildup of magic in her left hand. The two men managed to be free of each other, Validar sending down a black magic fire ball from his hand and aimed it at the exalt. Luckily Chrom, being young and agile, somersaulted to dodge the incoming projectile. He pointed up to Robin's left with Falchion. "Up there!" he shouted.

Robin looked up in the direction he pointed, seeing Validar hovering above them preparing for a large strike. Before she knew it, the tactician was blown to the side by a pillar of dark flames. She condensed her left fist and released the lightning blast at her father. The Thoron bolt hit the ceiling, missing Validar as he teleported out of harm's way. "You fools," she heard him chuckle.

The young woman struggled to her feet, but wasn't fast enough to save Chrom some pain. Validar shoved him into one of the stone pillars nearby with the help of his dark magic. The exalt struggled to his feet, using Falchion as a stabilizer to help him stand up. Quickly charging up another Thoron jolt, she released it just as Validar let out another dark fire ball at her husband.

Her father scowled at her for protecting one of Naga's sons, but that didn't sway the tactician. Chrom got back on his feet and sprinted towards Robin to be by her side and to protect her at any costs.

"This is it!" Chrom remarked to his wife. "Our final battle! You're one of us, Robin, and no 'destiny' can change that. Now let's kill this dastard and be done with it!" His words inspired Robin, penetrating the core of her heart, but she couldn't help but think that she had heard him say that before. This scenario seemed like a repeat of something already passed, however that couldn't have been possible according to Robin. Could it?

Knowing no other response, she nodded her head in agreement. He gave her a warm smile, but quickly aimed his focus back at Validar. Looking to her right, Robin could see a magical barrier forced around the three fighters, leaving the other Shepherds on the other side to fight the Grimleal. In the corner of her eye, she spotted her children, Lucina and Morgan, fighting side by side. Whenever one Grimleal would attack from one's behind, the other would strike back. The young mother smiled with pride; she was so happy her children were not only strong and capable, but cared for each other. It reminded her so much of her relationship with Chrom. They were partners who watched each other's backs. They loved each other (though the love was different, it still bound them together). Robin wanted to cheer them on, but she knew that now was not the time to be the hopelessly doting mother. If she played her cards right, there would be time for that later.

"Let's go!" she cried. Robin let down her hood and charged in sync with her partner at Validar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The rest of the battle was tough, to be sure, but the two succeeded. Robin had delivered a final blow with her Thoron tome after many strikes from Chrom's Falchion. Validar fell to his knees, with a cloud of dark magic enveloping him as it looked like he disintegrated. Chrom looked over at his wife, granting her a proud, reassuring smile. He was so proud of her and grateful that he didn't have to resort to more unethical methods. The war was over, they stopped Grima's resurrection, and prevented a terrible future from existing. 

He felt his heart tingle within his chest at the sight of his beloved wife. All he wanted to do was hold and kiss her while congratulating her on their victory. However, the happiness was short-lived as he heard a voice from behind him roar out, "This isn't over! Curse you both!" Before he could react, Chrom saw the terrified look on Robin's face. She extended her left arm, forcing it upon the exalt's chest and pushing him back and absorbing a final blow from the unfinished Validar. With the surprise shove, Chrom stumbled back a few feet in attempts to regain his balance. He looked over at his savior, who lay on the ground with her head facing him. 

The young man sprinted to her side, slowly raising her limp body from the ground by supporting her head and back. "You alright?" he asked worriedly. As soon as he saw Robin open her eyes, he smiled. "That's the end of him... Thanks to you we carried the day. We can rest easy now."

Robin wasn't so sure. _At long last_ , she heard a voice in her head say. Her vision slowly turned red. 

Chrom could see that she had a blank expression. "Hey, what's wrong?"

 _No, not now_ , Robin exclaimed, though her voice couldn't express her worries. Pain enveloped her body, especially her head. It was as if she could feel someone else making the decision to attack Chrom with her body. She couldn't let that happen. With the last bit of her control, she concentrated on lowering the magic power developing in her left hand. _You won't do this...I won't let you._  

"Hey, hey look--" Before the exalt could finish, he felt a sharp pain enter his abdomen, like a sword was being thrust into him. However, he knew that Robin's magic was a lot more powerful than this; he would survive, so the young lord felt the need to put on a show. He trusted Robin. This was all in her nightmare and because of that, he knew that both of them would turn out fine. He backed off slowly, grunting in pain. The pain was similar to the attack from Gangrel, but since this was magic, it wouldn't leave intense scarring. 

"This is not your...your fault," he reassured her. That part wasn't a part of the act, but he couldn't let the enemy know that. "Promise me...you'll escape from this place. Please...go..." He dropped to his knees and face-planted into the ground.

His acting was very convincing, according to Robin. She had never seen him put on a dramatic performance or anything like that, though his "death" seemed believable. She knew he wasn't dead, but the tactician had to play along as well. Robin turned her mind back to her nightmare, where Chrom did in fact die, and said nothing as she stood over his seemingly lifeless body. The woman made sure her face was shocked and full of remorse. Though she knew this was all a ruse, Robin still heard the maniacal laughter inside of her mind, howling at the victory the source thought they achieved.

"Chrom...I'm sorry..." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HA HA, LOOKS LIKE ROBIN PULLED AN APRIL FOOLS' JOKE ON YOU, VALIDAR. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. The next few chapters will be especially epic (in my opinion) and I hope you will continue to read. Thanks for all of your support and all that. Feel free to leave feedback in the comments and whatnot. Thanks again!


	37. A Nightmare Becoming Reality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Chrom's "death," Basilio enters the scene as Robin strikes the still-alive Validar. Lucina is stunned at the sight of the West Khan alive and well, and Flavia soon enters the scene. Chrom stands up and reveals that Robin lowered her magic power before the attack. Basilio tells Validar of Robin's plans to hide the real Gemstones of the Fire Emblem and how Validar kept his eyes on the living, and not the "dead." After another ferocious battle, Robin and Chrom are triumphant, but their celebration is cut short by the return of a mysterious figure.

"Why... Why would you squander your birthright... Robin...my daughter..."

Validar let out his final breath as his body hit the floor from a direct strike of both Falchion and Thoron. Chrom stood next to Robin, gripping the legendary sword tightly while taking many deep breaths. The battle was a long one, to be sure, and a very difficult one. Both the tactician and the exalt were exhausted, but the latter let out a sigh of relief. 

"We did it!" he cried. Turning to face his wife, he continued, "We did it, Robin! We've altered our destiny! We... We've won." Was it true? Was it all over? The thought of returning to Ylisstol filled all of Chrom's thoughts. Little Lucina would be turning one within the week, so they could celebrate their child's first birthday together without worries of a ruined future. Without giving much thought, he sheathed Falchion and wrapped his arms tightly around the tactician, who squeaked in surprise. He lightened his grip on her, about to kiss her with the buildup of intense joy, but their happiness and relief was cut short.

Robin's head had turned to the left, which prompted Chrom to look in the same direction. A shadowy figure, like a silhouette emitting darkness, stood before them. The body suddenly began to morph into a more humanoid form. A bright light temporarily blinded the group from seeing the figure take form, but when they opened their eyes, a female stood in front of them. Long, tactician robes, a creamy camisole, long white hair put up into gentle pigtails -- it was Robin. 

"You!" Chrom's wife shrieked. 

"You may have altered the course of history, but not its destination," the stranger replied with a smirk.

"What do you mean?!"

"It is still written that Chrom died here at your hands. Or, perhaps to be more precise...mine." This woman wasn't Robin, or at least the Robin Chrom knew and loved. Although they looked exactly the same, the feeling this other Robin gave off was more sinister and sadistic. Her eyes, though the same shape and color as his wife's, seemed cold and calloused. Her smirk was not of joy, but out of pleasure from deriving pain from those whom she associated with. This was not Robin.

"Who are you, really?!" the exalt demanded.

The doppelganger sighed with frustration. "I told you. I'm Robin. The Robin that murdered you and became the fell dragon, Grima. When this 'Marth' of yours decided to come back in time...I came with her."

Robin's eyes widened with astonishment. _This_ is what she would be like in the future? "Another version of me? But how...?"

The other Robin let out another frustrated sigh. "I can be so daft sometimes..." she said, putting her hand to her forehead to illustrate her frustration. "It's really quite simple. I am you. Our only difference is the decisions we've made... Those vivid dreams you have—those are my memories. We share those memories because we share the same heart...Grima's heart."

"Th-the headaches... The voices..." Everything started to become clear. It was this Robin who prompted her to serve Validar whenever the opportunity came up. "It was you!"

"Your recollection begins the day I entered this world. I intended for us to unite then, the first moment I found you. But your heart was still too weak to contain Grima's power... The shock of my attempt wiped your memory clean." Chrom and his wife remained silent. There was simply nothing to say to all this. Chrom couldn't believe that his wife could ever turn into this being that stood before the both of them. What had happened to her, his kind, gentle, loving, affectionate wife? Had it been his fault in the future or was it simply the power of Grima that took her over? Either way, the exalt didn't know how to stop this. "I knew if Lucina managed to rewrite history, Grima would never be resurrected. And I, in turn, would cease to exist. So I had to step in, now and again, to keep my future secured. Like when Validar was killed in his attempt to assassinate Emmeryn... But that is the past, now. We have our future past to think of. All that remains is for you to become Grima, as I did. Then you and I will become as one, and we can reclaim my power."

"We are not yet the same?" the queen asked.

Silence filled the area for a few moments before the other Robin continued. "...You were supposed to choose godhood over your pathetic band of servants. But if you'll not claim the sacrifice laid at the Dragon's Table... I will claim it in your place!" A dark aura formed around the future Robin. The present Robin could feel the power surrounding her doppelganger, and the more they stood there, the more the power became stronger. 

"What?!" Robin cried out in shock.

"Myeh heh ha ha ha! The fell dragon and I are one! And though my journey through time has diminished my power...the life force here shall renew me!" Without saying a word, Chrom and Robin knew they had to get out of there as fast as possible. They ran with the other Shepherds out of the building as it began to collapse, but before leaving the room, Robin went over to the Dragon's Table and picked up a familiar object.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lucina, Lissa, and Frederick joined Chrom and Robin outside of the shattered building with a new, massive, brooding dragon carefully flying over it. Grima. The Fell Dragon had been resurrected. 

"That's Grima! That's the demon who destroyed my world. And now he is among us..." Lucina's voice trembled. She knew of the absolute destruction this dragon would bring upon the world.

"The terrible size of it...gods! For once the legends spoke true. We can't face him, not in a straight battle—he'd kill us all!" Frederick cried. The dragon was at least three times the size of the building they had been in. The skies were shrouded in dark clouds as the end of the world seemed nigh. 

"If only we still had the Fire Emblem, we could ask Naga for her power." Chrom muttered. "Then at least we'd have a chance."

"But Validar took the Emblem!" said Lissa.

"And it was lost inside the Dragon's Table... I know." Was this really the end? Was there no way to stop Grima?

Before all hope was lost, Robin smiled, her hands still behind her back. "What, you mean THIS Fire Emblem?" From behind her, she pulled out a familiar shield-like item; the Fire Emblem.

Chrom's eyes widened. "The Emblem! But how..."

"I stole it from you once, remember? The least I could do was steal it back," the young woman chuckled, giving her husband a quick wink.

"Robin, you sly cat. You never cease to amaze!" After nearly four years of knowing each other, Chrom still could never know what Robin would do at all times, which is one of the many qualities that allured him. But now wasn't the time to admire his wife, as much as he wanted to. "Quickly now! We must complete the Awakening before Grima catches on!"

"It's said the first exalt paid tribute to Naga at a site on Mount Prism," stated Frederick.

"Do you know where, exactly?"

"Yes. There is an altar at the peak of the mountain. If milord would perform the Awakening, it must be done there."

"A small hope is better than no hope at all. Hurry, everyone!"

The small group began to move, but Chrom quickly pulled Robin close before leaving and catching up to the rest of the Shepherds. He embraced her, whispering into her ear.

"Thank you, Robin. You have given all of us a new hope."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! 2222 hits! I'm so proud! Thank you so much for reading/visiting my work. I really do appreciate it and I hope you all enjoy it. We are getting closer to the end (end of the game, anyway), so I hope you are getting excited!  
> As always, feel free to comment and leave feedback and whatnot. I always appreciate it. Have a nice day!


	38. To Slay a God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom, Robin, and the rest of the Shepherds head to Mount Prism to perform the Awakening ritual and unleash Falchion's true power. When they arrived, Risen had already infiltrated the area. After defeating the Risen, Chrom performs the rite and is bathed in Naga's fire, which releases the Falchion's potential. Naga, the divine dragon, appears to them and tells them that Grima cannot be killed by Falchion, but will be put back to sleep by its power. Only Grima could has the power to kill himself, and it's not something he would of course do willingly. The Shepherds rush back to Origin Peak, where Grima resides.

"Origin Peak..."

Chrom stood in awe as the giant volcano stood in front of them. This is where Grima was supposed to be.

"The fell dragon is indeed here." Naga, with all of her glory, appeared once more to the exalt. She was covered in a wonderful blue aura that even made her long, green hair look blue. "Remember, Awakener! The power I gave you cannot destroy Grima."

"It can only put him back to sleep..." Robin muttered.

"Correct, Fellblood."

The tactician winced at hearing the latter word. "So you know of my lineage?"

"You possess power not so different from my own," replied Naga. Robin remembered hearing something similar to when they first met Tiki, before she found out that she herself was Grima. Of course it all made much more sense at that point. 

"We must find some way to break this unholy cycle!" Chrom shouted. "We can't just keep putting Grima back to sleep every few centuries. Otherwise we merely will his vengeance on our descendants."

 _Our descendants_ , Robin thought. She pulled her right hand into her view. Her mark--now known as the Brand of the Fell Dragon, much similar to Chrom's and Lucina's Brands of the Exalt--was covered by her leather brace that continued from her elbow to her middle knuckle. It was a good thing she covered it for all those years; it always made her uncomfortable whenever she looked at it. Now knowing that it proved her link to Grima, she felt ashamed. Ashamed that she allowed herself to pass down her blood, the Fell Dragon's blood, to her child, Lucina. Perhaps the blood of the Son of Naga purified the blood of Grima, Robin hoped. Many thoughts swirled around the young woman's mind. _It's all my fault. What if Grima can be resurrected through our descendants?_

"...I may know a way," the tactician said with hope.

"Yes, Robin? You have some strategy?" Chrom asked his wife. 

"The other me claimed the dragon and I were the same, yes? If I strike the final blow, he'd be killed by his own hand..."

"Robin! Ingenious!" the exalt cried with excitement. They had a chance of saving everyone, and it was all thanks to his wife. "Naga? Will it work?"

The response given by Naga made both Chrom and Robin uncomfortable. She began with silence, but soon said, "...Perhaps. But there would be consequences. Grima's heart and Robin's are inexorably linked. Dragon and woman can no longer be separated. Therefore, slaying Grima would also cause the end of Robin's life."

"...I realize that. I am ready," stated the tactician. 

Chrom looked over at her in shock. _She wouldn't possibly do this...not when she has a family back in Ylisstol...would she?_

"If those bonds prove strong enough, they may yet keep you in this reality. However, not even a thousand human friendships surpass the dragon's grip. In truth, you will almost certainly cease to exist," Naga continued.

Robin remained silent, but Chrom didn't want her to go through with any of this. "Robin would cease to be?! No. We'll find another way."

"Chrom, wait. You're not thinking clearly. Think about what your sister would have wanted."

"Emmeryn would never have asked you to do this!" 

"What is one life, when weighed against millions?"

"Stop it!" he raised his voice, almost to a yell. He was fighting against his wife for her life. Now that he had been with her for several years, he couldn't imagine his life without her. They were two halves of a greater whole. If she died, it would be as if he died as well. "You're one of us. You'll _always_  be one of us. There has to be another way. We just have to find it. Promise me, Robin. Promise me you won't do this!" He was grasping her shoulders tightly at this point, forcing her to look at him. 

Robin stood in silence, contemplating on her next move. "...You're right, Chrom. I'm sorry."

He loosened his grip and tried to let out a smile, but it was hard after thinking about losing his love. "We swore to stand by each other, remember? We're two halves of a whole... Not even a dragon can sever us!" After nearly three years of marriage, the exalt still remembered the vows he made with Robin. He would love and stand by her, through the good times and the bad. She promised the same. She couldn't break that promise.

His wife tried to let out a smile, but couldn't. She knew what had to be done and couldn't let Chrom know. He wouldn't allow it; he would have done anything in his power to prevent her from sacrificing her life. Robin wanted to be with him, to live out the rest  of their long lives together with Lucina, Morgan, and whatever other children they may have in the new future. But in order for her children's descendants to live in happiness and peace, she would have to cut her life short. It was a price she was willing to pay for the sake of those whom she loved. 

"The time for deliberation is over, Awakener," interrupted Naga. "The Grimleal have found us."

"Father! We're under attack!" the two of them heard Lucina call out from a distance. 

"Come on, Robin!" the commander grunted, running after their daughter.

Robin, without hesitation, ran after him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray! Another chapter done! We're almost to my favorite part!   
> I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading thus far (or just reading this chapter) and I hope you continue to read the story as it continues.   
> Feel free to leave feedback so I can make it better and whatnot. Thanks!


	39. Aversa's Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shepherds, on their way to Origin Peak to face Grima, run into Aversa. In a desperate attempt to stop them from getting any further, Aversa engages them in a final battle with her army of risen at her side. Eventually, Robin makes her way to the sorceress and the two battle it out in a test of strength and wits.

Though she knew this wasn't their final battle, Robin knew it would be harder than any battle they had fought up to this point.

Aversa wasn't about to let them pass and simply allow them to attack the fell dragon. The woman had called upon an army of risen to take care of the Shepherds as they hid in various mountains across the battlefield. She sat on an ebony pegasus at the opposite end of the field a couple hundred yards away. 

 _I've got to make sure everyone survives this battle_ , Robin thought while looking back at the rest of the Shepherds behind her. She stood by Chrom, as usual, and could see the determined faces of all of her comrades: Lissa, Frederick, Cordelia, Lucina, Morgan, Lon'qu... _I may not survive long enough to see this war end, but I need to secure their happiness._ Her mind was still fixated on Naga's words, on her idea to end Grima with her life, on her lie to Chrom. Oh gods, she lied to him again. 

"Are you ready, Robin?" her husband suddenly spoke, interrupting her thoughts. The tactician snapped out of her daze and looked up at Chrom, who stood at her right side. He had a hopeful smile on his face, which only made Robin more upset. She could only imagine that smile slowly fading away - possibly forever - when she would fade away. They made each other happy, but her cause was a noble one, right? Sacrificing her life for the good of her descendants... The young woman smiled back confidently and nodded her head. 

Chrom loved it whenever she gave him that confident grin. Her confidence was always something he had admired about her, and he wasn't about to give her up without a fight. His mind went back to their first battle together, at the burning village invaded by bandits. He wouldn't have guessed that he would fall in love with the amnesiac after going through so much with her. Chrom looked forward to ending the war. Not only would it bring peace throughout the land, but he would finally have some rightly and well earned alone time with Robin. _If anything gets in between me and my alone time with Robin..._

The Shepherds had come this far; there was no way he would lose now. The exalt gripped his blessed Falchion and slid it out of its sheath. "Time to make this she-witch pay!" he cried, charging onto the battlefield with his wife closely following him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Murderers!" Aversa screamed. "You'll pay for taking Master Validar from me!" While on her mount, she constantly cast dark magic spells, nearly hitting its target every time. Luckily, Lucina was an excellent dodger. She had made it up to the front of the battlefield alongside Morgan before her parents and she was determined to end this hag's life. 

"Not if I end you first!" the princess shouted, dragging her Falchion across the ground and slashing at Aversa as her pegasus descended. She missed and would have been hit back by the black magic if it weren't for her little brother. Morgan had tackled her to the ground, receiving a face full of dirt, but thankful his sister wasn't hurt as bad as it could have been. 

"Careful, Lucy," Morgan whispered to her as they got up from the ground.

"Thank you, Brother..." Still, the young woman couldn't fathom how a single person could take on the two exalted siblings. Was she too weak? Could she not protect her family? While these thoughts lingered in her mind, Morgan began to chant a spell as he read the inscription of his tome. 

"Bolganone!" he cried out, extending his left hand while aiming it at Aversa. He could feel a strong heat develop around his hand, which turned into an explosion of what seemed to be boiling lava from underneath Aversa's pegasus. Unfortunately for the siblings, the pegasus leaped out of the way and the fire blast missed by a few mere inches. As the older woman dodged the attack, she cast a spell of her own and extended her hand towards the boy.

"Goetia!" she cried as dark streams of lightning flew from her hand and gathered towards Morgan. The aspiring tactician was too slow to react, but his sister wasn't.

"Morgan!" Lucina called out, dashing over towards her little brother and getting in the way. Once the dark lightning made its impact, the shocks soared through the rest of the princess's body, leaving her paralyzed with pain. It was as if her body was being pierced by a thousand needles while she was left to burn in a fire. She staggered to her knees, using Falchion as a support. 

The dark woman snickered, "Still clinging to life, are we? I can tell you are your mother's daughter; not just anyone can take a blow from my magic and live to tell about it. Too bad you still won't live long enough to see the future of Grima!" Aversa let out another beam of Goetia. Lucina could see the blast running for her. She couldn't do anything; she was still on her knees and could barely move. The exalt's daughter closed her eyes and prepared for her demise, only to hear a curse from the she-witch.

"Get your filthy hands away from my daughter," a familiar voice grunted. Opening her eyes, Lucina beheld her mother, holding her signature Thoron tome with Chrom standing at her side. 

"Ah, Robin. Here to meet an early doom? Nothing you do will change the future."

The tactician looked over at her husband. "Chrom, make sure Lucina and Morgan are okay. I'm going to take care of this hag." She pulled out her sword, a levin sword, from her belt and proceeded to charge at Aversa.

Letting out several grunts in anger while attacking, Robin proceeded to slash at Aversa several times, missing just as often in her rage. When the sorceress flew to the sky, the tactician switched out her Thoron tome with her Rexcalibur tome from her robes, immediately chanting the spell and releasing several cyclones to take Aversa down from the sky.

"I don't think I've ever seen Mother like that," Morgan stated in amazement. 

"That's because no one has been daft enough to attack one of her children until now," Chrom chuckled as he knelt down by his children. Both were on the ground, but Lucina was the most in pain. 

Lucina, in awe just as much as her brother, still felt uneasy. "...Will she be okay, Father?"

The exalt laughed a bit more. "I wouldn't worry about her right now," he replied. "When you're mother is this angry, nothing stops her." He spoke from experience, his mind looking back on the memories of his wife while pregnant with Lucina. His smile faded as he remembered her temper. _Not something I would like to bring up again, especially at this moment,_ he thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ahh...finally... Sweet...death..." Aversa groaned, lying on the ground with several injuries. "Finally...the pain... F-finally...it ends..."

Robin took a deep breath and released, relieved that the battle was over. There was still one last battle ahead; she shouldn't have wasted so much strength on this one battle. The tactician couldn't let anyone know how exhausted she was, so she happily trotted over towards her family. 

"Are we all okay?" she asked, aiming the question at Lucina and Morgan. Both nodded. "Good."

The rest of the Shepherds caught up to the exalt family, witnessing the being known as Grima from atop the mountain's peak in front of them. The beast was enormous - bigger than the mountain that it flew above. The dark, shadowy dragon let out a solid cry, piercing the eardrums of everyone within the sound's reach.

"Yikes! What was that?!" Lissa cried, releasing her hands from covering her ears.

"Grima!" responded Lucina with fear vibrating in her voice.

"We can defeat him!" the exalt firmly stated.

Frederick looked at him in disbelief. "Milord, how does a man challenge a mountain?! Where would one even strike?!"

As they spoke, a shining being teleported in front of them: Naga. "The fell dragon has a weakness on the nape of his neck," she said calmly. "But that weakness will be guarded by his servants. I can send you onto the dragon's back, but the rest is in your hands."

"Then please, milady, and quickly! We would ask no more of you," replied Chrom. He looked over at the Shepherds, who were all worn out, but still with vigor.

"Everyone, gird yourselves! One way or another this ends here!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter completed! Sorry it took so long. Finals are coming up and I haven't had much time to focus on my story.  
> I decided to add a little bit of Lucina and Morgan into the mix because we haven't heard from them in a while. I hope you enjoyed the change of pace and the next few chapters will be awesome! Thanks so much for reading! Stay tuned!


	40. The Final Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom, Robin, and the rest of the Shepherds arrive on Grima's back thanks to Naga's power, but it seems despair is the only thing that awaits them. They are rendered powerless and Robin is quickly taken away from the group to become one with the Fell Dragon against her will. What will she do if she can't fight back? What will happen to the Ylisseans?

"You do have a choice, you know."

Grima's words rang in Robin's ears. The dragon's power had sucked out all of the remaining life force of the Shepherds and there were no other strategies the tactician could come up with. Was this really the end? "It doesn't have to be this way. You can still save all your friends... Become one with me, and we shall spare their lives. ...Refuse, and watch as I rend the flesh from their bones!"

The fell dragon wasn't just the dragon beneath their feet, but was the doppelganger Robin from before, from Lucina's future. She looked almost exactly the same, but had a reddish tint in her eyes and her voice became distorted with the sound of Grima's ferocious dragon tone. 

"...I..." The tactician stuttered. Would this really help her friends?

"No, Robin!" Chrom called out, still very weak from the sudden sap of his strength. "Don't...do it..." He could feel his eyelids become heavy; all he wanted to do was take a rest and ease his wounds, but he knew that if he did that, he would never wake up and he would never see Robin again. 

"She's lying... It's...a trap..." Lissa moaned. 

The Grima-Robin glared at the young princess and, with the flick of her wrist, sent the girl back to the ground as she writhed in pain. "NOW!" the sadistic woman cried. "I will have your decision! Will you save these worms? Will you JOIN ME and become a GOD?"

"Lissa..." Robin called out softly as her voice felt as weak as her body. She looked back at Grima and shook her head. "Do you think me a fool? You'll kill them anyway!"

"...Well, of _course_ I would," Grima retorted. "I only thought you might want to leave your comrades with a heroic, selfless image. ...But so be it. Leave them with the final memory that you were their undoing!" With another wave of this woman's hand, the real Robin could feel her body being what seemed to be torn apart. The strange and painful sensation left the tactician powerless for what was to come.

"Aaarrrrgh!" Robin cried. She began to disappear into a large black hole that appeared right below her feet. It dragged the young woman into the dark abyss that awaited her. Chrom extended his hand towards her slowly, barely able to move any muscle in his body.

"Robin!" he yelled out for her. It was too late; she was gone. Where was she? Could she return? How? All of these questions roamed inside the exalt's head as he remained powerless to stop Grima from taking his beloved away from him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robin opened her eyes, finding herself standing on a plain of darkness, seeing nothing but the splitting image of herself directly in front of her. "Where am I?" she demanded. 

"Where your god wills you to be," mocked the fell dragon. "Now if you will excuse me... I have some fleas on my back to take care of."

"No... I won't let you!"

"You still _dare_ resist _me_?! Then perhaps I should end you first!" The other Robin raised her hand, creating a purple light that was filled with immense dark power. She fired the bolt at the prisoner of darkness, rendering her completely defenseless and face down on the black ground. After Robin fell, Grima teleported out of the darkness, leaving the tactician all alone.

 _Is this what it's like to be all alone?_ Robin thought. She had no memories of her life before Chrom and the Shepherds, so she had no idea what it was like to be completely and utterly alone in the darkness. "So dark... A sea of black... I have...no final strategy... No cards left to play... She has...won... Ah... I c-can't see... I can't hear... I feel...nothing... ...... ...Nothing... ......" No matter how hard she tried, Robin couldn't hear anything except the sound of her own trembling voice. 

"——ve to ————ack!" a lovely voice called out from somewhere beyond the darkness. The sounds were still jumbled, but it filled Robin with a glimmer of hope. 

"...... ...Huh?"

"Yo— ha——— fi— back! ——ghting!"

"I...hear something... A voice..." The young woman lifted up her head and could feel like she knew this voice. _Who is it?_ she wondered. The voice was slightly distorted, so it was hard to recognize who it belonged to.

"Fight ba—! —ave to keep ——ing!" After another bunch of jumbled sounds, the voice became clear as day. "Fight back, Robin! You swore to do so, remember? Now keep your dang word!"

_It couldn't be..._

"C-Chrom? Chrom!" She would know that voice anywhere. Her heart pounded at the sound of her husband. "Chrom, I can hear you!"

"What?! No!" the fell dragon cried. "You are mine now! The dragon's grip cannot be broken!" 

There was no mistaking it; Robin was still alive and had a way out. She heard all of the Shepherds, all of her friends, speak to her, encouraging her to stay strong and to come back to them. "I can hear them... I hear my friends!"

"Stop this at once! SILENCE those wretched voices! You are all powerless! Frail! Insignificant! You are NOOOTHING!"

"Return to us, Robin!" Chrom called out from beyond the void. "Your bond with us is stronger than even the fell dragon's might!"

"Chrom!" The young woman, still face down on the ground, looked over at her left hand. Her wedding ring - the ring with the brand of the exalt - still rested upon her ring finger. Her bonds were stronger than any dragon's grip. She was not about to let Grima take her away from her family. "I'm coming, Chrom! Hold on!" The tactician got to her feet and concentrated on coming back to reality. In her mind, she envisioned Chrom standing before her. Her heart pounded with adrenaline and within a few moments, she could feel his arms wrap around her.

"Robin..." her husband choked. Even though they were atop the fell dragon itself with the possibility of dying within the hour, Chrom felt his heart beat quickly as joy overcame his body. She was back; they could do this. They looked at each other while smiling, and then he released her so they could take care of the final battle. 

"Children of man, take my power! Rise now, and face the fell dragon!" Naga's voice rang from around them. Suddenly all of the Shepherds were bathed in a soothing green light, reviving their lost strength and recovering their wounds. Chrom gripped his wife's shoulder, assuring her that they would emerge victorious. 

"We will finish this, Robin. Together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter wasn't the awesome one that I talked about, but I'm sure the next one will be! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Please keep reading because I'm excited to write the next few chapters. It's going to be filled with head cannon stuff, so if you don't want that, you can just skip it and whatnot. Have a nice day!


	41. A Bittersweet Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shepherds continue to fight the Risen upon Grima's back, struggling to maintain even a glimmer of hope. Robin and Chrom face Grima herself in attempts to change the future permanently. In the end, Robin is forced to make a decision; will she end her life for the sake of her descendants, or will she choose to live on while Grima sleeps for another thousand years?

"ARROGANT MORTALS!"

The dragon in the form of Robin had a distorted and sinister voice that pierced the ears of both Chrom and Robin. Robin held her levin sword in her left hand and her Thoron tome in her right while chanting from the magical book. Chrom came in for another attack at Grima, but the woman quickly dodged by swiftly teleporting to another spot within a few inches away. 

With a wave of her arm, the fell dragon - the actual dragon - turned its head and faced the battle on the nape of its neck as it soared the skies. Widening its mouth, filled with layers of sharp teeth, it released a gaseous poison aimed at Chrom. The exalt staggered back, covering his nose and mouth with his right arm in attempts to prevent the poison from entering his body. It pierced his skin and left an excruciating burning sensation as the gas dissipated. He fell to his knees, trying to regain his strength.

"Argh..." he groaned. "Gods, what is that?"

Robin, from a few yards away, released the lightning buildup from her hand and it flew to pierce Grima. The doppelganger, at the last moment, tilted her head to dodge, but was left with a burned scratch across her left cheek. With this new feeling of pain, Grima touched her cheek with shock, looking at the blood it left on her hand. Her face turned into a horrifying scowl as she roared, "INSOLENCE!"

The woman raised her arm again. Another one of the fell dragon's poisonous breaths was let out and this time, aimed at the tactician. Anticipating this attack, Robin tucked and rolled over to the left, becoming only a few feet away from her husband.

"Chrom, are you alright?" Robin asked worriedly, helping the exalt come to his feet. 

"Yeah, I'm fine," grunted he. The pain was slowly vanishing into a minor annoyance, but as he looked back up at the fell dragon, another one of its misty gas attacks was coming their way. "Robin, look out!" He wrapped his arms around her and forced her to the right, barely dodging the attack. The couple hit the ground hard, Robin hitting it harder as she was on the bottom. When Chrom opened his eyes after colliding with the dragon's back, he propped himself on all fours above Robin to shield her from any blows that could be aimed at them while they were down. His knees were placed on both sides of his wife while his hands on either side of her head. Both parties breathed heavily from exhaustion. The tactician, though secretly wishing they could keep this position for a while longer, slid out from under the exalt and rose to her feet with Chrom doing the same. 

"So, do you have a plan?" questioned the young man while keeping his eyes locked on Grima, who continued to smile sadistically from about twenty feet away. It felt weird to fight someone who looked exactly like Robin. It was even weirder to think that Grima looked attractive because it possessed the future Robin's body. 

Robin nodded. "That cut on Grima's cheek proves that she's--er, it's vulnerable rather than immortal. If we combine our strength, we may be able to do enough damage to knock it down and then deliver the final blow."

"Right," he said. "One problem: how do we fight against both Grima and the...dragon?"

"When Grima is down, the dragon won't attack. The dragon attacks whenever Grima gives the command, so that must mean their life forces are intertwined. Once one is down, so is the other."

"Okay, sounds easy enough," Chrom stated with a hint of sarcasm. He turned his head to look at Robin. "Ready to end this once and for all?"

The tactician looked up at him, nodding in affirmation with a confident grin on her face. The exalt smiled as well. "Let's finish this," replied Robin. The two looked back at Grima and came running at the figure with full force.

The fell dragon let out another attack, but the two soldiers quickly and successfully dodged by running away from each other and then coming back together after the blast had dissipated. Grima was only a few feet away. 

"Now!" Chrom cried, readying his exalted Falchion for a blow. Robin did the same with her levin sword. While in sync, the two let out battle cries as they motioned their swords to pierce Grima. The other Robin had a surprised look plastered on her face, falling to her knees as the swords came in contact with her body.

"...NNGH...AAAAUGHHH..." groaned the fallen Robin. The couple had distanced themselves from the injured Grima to ready themselves for a final attack. 

Chrom readied Falchion once more. "Now, Robin! This is our chance! I'm going to finish it!"

 _This is it_ , Robin thought. _Now or never_. She placed her hand on Chrom's shoulder as she walked forward in the direction of their enemy. Her husband's expression changed from determined to confused. 

"No," she told him.

"...Robin?! Wait, what—" he stuttered, still unaware of what was happening. 

The injured Grima looked up at Robin, who stood above her. "...WHAT...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Robin maintained a stern and serious expression. "For once, I'm glad you and I are the same," she said. A faint, purple glow enveloped her body. "Now I can give my life to protect those I care for..."

"...YOU WOULD...NOT DARE!"

"I would and I will." The light around her grew brighter. "The evils you would visit on this world are unthinkable... In some way, I—we share the blame. It's only right we meet our end together!" She lifted her right hand towards Grima's face, seeing part of her own brand begin to glow faintly. The tactician could feel the power develop and resurface itself from within her body. It made her entire body tingle in a way she couldn't describe, a certain pressure that was foreign to her. _Is this what power feels like?_ she wondered. It took a lot more out of her to release that power directly at her future self. 

"...NOOOOOOO!" were the last cries of the being who had taken over the future Robin. The area became bathed in a bright light, forcing Chrom to close his eyes as he observed from a few yards away. A blast had been released, Chrom deduced, as he toppled over at the immense quake of the results. 

Once the light vanished, he opened his eyes and saw Robin - his Robin - standing by herself while the dark light from her body fluttered into the sky. She was fading away. "Robin! No!" Chrom yelled from his knees. 

The young woman turned to face him, a smile brightening her pale face. "Thank you, Chrom. For...everything... Tell the others...my last thoughts were of them..." she muttered with the last bit of her strength.

"Robin! No!" The exalt quickly stumbled back to his feet and sprinted over to his wife. "Ah gods, NO!" he cried, tears streaming down his face. _This can't be happening... She promised..._

He finally caught up to her, seeing her body slowly disintegrate into nothing. "Robin, you can't...you can't die on me! Oh, gods! Robin, don't go!"

"Chrom..." she replied. He could tell that she was getting weaker by the second as the life force left her body. "Tell Lucina and Morgan I love them, okay? Tell them I'm sorry I couldn't be a better mother..."

"Robin, no!" Chrom spouted. "You can't--"

"Shhhh..." she stated, pressing her index finger on his lips. He didn't feel anything; her touch was practically nonexistent. "This was for the best. I'm sorry I lied to you..."

"Sorry isn't good enough! I've already lost Emm, I don't need to lose you!" His arms were shaking. Tears streamed down his face like waterfalls of sorrow. "You can't go! I still need you..."

"You are a strong man, Chrom. I want you to look towards the future, live a long life with our baby." Her hand slowly brushed over to his cheek, cupping his face in her right palm. "I love you."

Robin leaned in towards his face for one last kiss. Her lips gently pressed up against his, and though he could barely feel the touch, Chrom could still feel the sensation of happiness and ecstasy he felt every time they kissed. He attempted to wrap his arms around her waist one last time, but it was too late; her body was no more. All that was left was a vision of Robin that began to fade quickly away into the evening sky. "May we meet again, in a better life..." her voice said, echoing into the distance. 

In what seemed to be an instant, she was gone. Chrom's beloved wife was no more. The exalt fell to his knees and let out a fierce cry of both anger and sorrow. The tears were now streaming down his face faster than ever before. The drops fell onto the ground. "Robin..." he whispered as he choked out each word between tears.

"I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta da! I hope you enjoyed this one. It is a little sad, I admit, but it's not over yet! I had a lot of fun writing this one, so I hope you had fun reading it. Stay tuned for the next chapter and feel free to leave constructive criticism, questions, or just overall reviews. I really appreciate it. Thanks again!


	42. She Left a Hole in his Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Robin gone, Chrom and the others have to escape from the falling dragon's back. After standing on solid ground again, Chrom looks at the bones of the dragon Robin gave her life to kill forever. The exalt mourns over his wife's death, but remembers the words of Naga and how there would be a possibility she would survive. This gives him hope as he vows to find her no matter how long it takes.

"Robin..."

He couldn't find the strength to say anything else. When she left, his wife seemed to have taken his heart with her. The ground began to shake as the fell dragon began to deteriorate. 

"Milord!" Frederick called out, racing on his horse to the broken man. He halted his steed once he was a few feet away from his lord, quickly getting off and leaning down next to the exalt. "We have to get out of here! The dragon will collapse at any moment and we are still thousands of yards in the air!"

"She's...She's gone..." replied Chrom.

Without a second thought, the stalwart knight dragged his prince up and forced him to mount his horse. "Now is not the time!" he cried, also climbing up on the armored mount and commanding it to gallop away. 

_He doesn't realize what's happened, does he?_ Chrom wondered. _How we lost Robin..._ Just the thought of her pushed his emotions where he couldn't help but cry as he sat in front of Frederick, who had the reigns of the horse. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone was accounted for; all of the Shepherds had made it out alive from the battle with the Risen atop of Grima. Chrom stood over a cliff, looking down at the mess that was Grima's remains. Large bones, in the shape of a dragon, covered a very large distance of the withering desert field of Plegian ground. Grima would never rise to wreck havoc on the world again, but at the price of Robin's life. 

Robin had left her husband, her children - including her baby back in Ylisstol, and the rest of the Shepherds, all to give them a better future. Robin had always been one step ahead, thinking towards the future rather than focusing only on the present. Would Chrom ever see her again?

As he mourned the loss of his lover, he remembered the words of Naga; there was a small chance that Robin could have survived, if her ties were strong enough to keep her in this world. This was the hope he needed. That small chance felt like an absolute certainty that she was alive. He didn't need to worry anymore. The thoughts might have been the denial talking, but any glimmer of hope he could see his beloved again was enough to help him stop crying and look towards the future, as Robin always had. 

"The war is ended, my friends," he began, turning to face the Shepherds who stood behind him. All were battered, bruised, and bleeding, but not broken. "Never again will the fell dragon trouble our world. I owe you all far more than words can ever repay. Especially Robin, who gave herself to save us all. To save all the worlds to come." The exalt choked at the last part of his mini speech, but maintained his professional appearance. 

"P-poor Robin..." Lissa muttered, shedding a few tears and sniffing with her runny nose. "After everything she did for us..."

Chrom walked over to his sister, wiping a tear from her face with his glove-covered hand. "Don't cry, Lissa. We'll see her again. I'm sure of it," he replied. "Remember what Naga said? That Robin would survive if our ties were strong enough. This isn't over. I believe Robin is out there...somewhere... And I'll find her. If it takes me the rest of my days, I'll find her..." That was a promise he was determined to keep. He broke his promise when he vowed to protect her at all costs when they were married. The exalt would not break his vows again.

"You're right!" said the princess, filled with a new inspired hope as she smiled brightly. "She has to be out there somewhere... And we'll find a way to bring her home. Even if we have to search every open field in this whole stupid world!"

Her brother smiled. It may take a while before they would find her, but she had to be out there somewhere. He would do whatever it took to find Robin, for Lucina's future, for Morgan's future, and for his own future. With his children fresh into his mind, he looked over at Lucina, who was consoling a crying Morgan.

"Morgan, it'll be alright," Chrom assured him while walking over to his son. He firmly placed his right hand on the boy's shoulder, reaffirming his assurance. "We _will_ find her. I'd search the entire world for her."

The crying boy looked up at his father, not necessarily moved by his words, but moved because he could see the hope in his eyes. Lucina, though hurt by the loss of her mother, maintained her composure and took on the task of helping her little brother through their loss, or temporary loss according to their father. Grima was dead, which was a miracle alone. She saw no reason why another miracle couldn't happen and bring back her mother.

Chrom looked back at the setting son with a brand new hope in his heart. He moved his left hand into view, removing the glove and revealing a shining silver band on his ring finger. He never took it off, not in the nearly three years they were married. Today marked the fourth anniversary of them finding her in the field; the day they always celebrated her birthday since she had no idea when it was. To think, she was taken away from them after just four years. Robin probably forgot about this day, but Chrom never forgot. He had hoped to celebrate her birthday after the battle with Grima, but it would seem this couldn't be the case. The exalt replaced his glove, turning to face his troops once again.

"Robin has secured for us all the most precious gift: a future," he told them. "Now it falls upon our shoulders to protect what was given. I vow to give my all to healing the damage this war has wrought upon the realm. When Robin returns, I want her to see what her sacrifice bought." He once again turned to face the evening sky, as if he could talk to his wife from that direction. "Robin...if you can hear me... You will always have a place here with us. Remember that. Always."

_I'll find you Robin. No matter what it takes, I promise to bring you back to Ylisstol._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will they find her? If so, how long will it take?  
> Thanks for reading, I really do appreciate it! I hope you have enjoyed the story thus far and it's still far from over (well, not terribly far, but not as close as you think). Next chapter will be a little "poet's license", if you will. Feel free to give constructive criticism and whatnot. I love reading comments.


	43. Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin is dead, or at least that's how she feels. The tactician finds herself alone in what seems to be a never ending world, but soon realizes there's one other person there, whom she converses with. After a while, Robin is left to ponder on what could have been and comes to the conclusion that she was never meant to be truly happy because of her bloodline.

Heaven seemed a lot different than Robin had ever imagined.

Opening her eyes, the tactician beheld a long, spacious field, with a thin sheet of what seemed to be water as it reflected the sky perfectly. She could see her reflection in the ground as perfectly as if she were looking in a mirror. The clouds above her moved quickly by, as if a swift wind carried them away beyond her reach in front of her. She took a step forward, watching her foot come in contact with the watery substance that rested below her. Just like water, it rippled once her step reached the ground, but her boot did not get wet. 

"What a strange place," the woman remarked with amazement. The sudden burst of curiosity was overwhelmed by the sense of loneliness that followed her, even after death. "Is this really what heaven feels like? Or am I somewhere farther away?" Maybe this was the curse of her blood, to reign the plains of isolation for eternity. Remembering her blood, she moved her right hand up to her sight and lowered the brace that had covered her mark. Her eyes widened. The mark of Grima was gone. All that remained was the peachy, feminine hand that was identical to her left one. "It's gone...my tie with Grima is gone..."

"Correct," a female's voice echoed from behind her. Robin jumped in surprise. Was she not truly alone? She turned around, only to see what seemed to be a reflection standing on the surface of the reflective water. 

"You..." Robin's thoughts turned towards the fell dragon she defeated. She hoped she didn't have to be in limbo with this monstrosity for forever. 

"Relax," said the reflection, as if she could read Robin's thoughts. "I am not the fell dragon, not anymore."

Something in the tactician's heart told her this was true. The woman's voice seemed sincere and caring, unlike the sadistic and cruel doppelganger from before. "Then who...?"

"My name is Robin. I am you from Lucina's future." The distance was filled with a brief pause, until the other Robin smiled brightly and said, "Thank you."

The present Robin was taken aback by this remark. "But I didn't do anything for you; there's no reason you should be thanking me."

"On the contrary," the other woman replied. "You did everything. You saved me from the fell dragon. Words cannot express how grateful I am to be free again. I can say this; you are a lot stronger than I ever was. I couldn't protect my children from untold destruction. I killed Chrom..." The woman's voice drifted off as she remembered the deeds from her future that she committed. "But you...you saved the world from the fell dragon."

"But you didn't do that; Grima killed him. There's nothing you could have done." Robin remembered what it was like to be controlled, body and soul, and how she couldn't resist Grima's influence at all. "All I did was die for my family."

"But are you really dead? Is this really reality?" Another pause left both of them speechless. "But that's irrelevant. Your willingness to sacrifice was one of the strongest acts a person can do. I hope you understand this."

"I suppose, but..." A tear rolled down the woman's face. "I'll never see Chrom again. I'll never see my baby walk or talk, or even get married..." 

"Don't cry, Robin," the other woman said with a smile on her face. "There is still a hope for you. My time is up, but remember what Naga said; if your bonds are strong, you may be able to go back. And because I'm you, I have no doubt that there's a bright hope for you."

"Wait," said Robin. "If you're me from Lucina's future...do you have all of your memories?" The tactician realized that this Robin wouldn't have had her memories erased because Grima didn't come back in time to wipe her memories away. The past changed once Lucina and the fell dragon arrived in the past. "Tell me; who's my mother? When's my birthday? How did you meet Chrom if you weren't in a field?"

The older tactician let out a gentle laugh. "Well, aren't you optimistic? Even though we're the same, I can see a little bit of Morgan in you...but I'm afraid we don't have time for such things."

"What?! But I have so many questions..." A bright light began to glow around the other Robin and a white, creamy dimension slowly appeared behind her.

"You've made it this far without knowing. I think you'll do just fine." Robin began to feel a little enraged with her other self, but supposed she could understand why she would behave that way in the future. "It's time for us to part, for me to go home." The other woman turned around to face the portal-like substance and gave a warm smile. "I've waited so long to see you again..."

The original tactician couldn't see what was going on or what her future self saw, but she could guess what was going on. Her heart skipped a beat. Was he really there? The other Robin held out her hand and suddenly, another hand reached out from the portal to grab hers. "It's time to come home, Robin," a familiar, masculine voice called out to the woman whose hand was grabbed. 

"Chrom..." the other Robin choked. "And all of my friends...I've missed you." 

"Wait! Don't leave me alone again!" the lonely woman cried out. 

Turning her head one last time to face her past self, the woman smiled. "You were never alone." Robin's eyes widened as she saw that it was the woman's left hand that was extended into the light. On her ring finger lay a silver ring with glistening sapphires the shape of the Brand of the Exalt. Within an instant, the woman melted away into the cloudy light as the portal disappeared into the sky. Robin was now by herself. 

The wife of the exalt looked at her own ring, staring at it for a while. "I'm coming, too, Chrom." As soon as she said those words, her ring began to glow and the world around her began to distort into a stormy sky, eventually turning black as the ground beneath the tactician disappeared. She screamed in surprise as it felt like she was falling from a building, surrounded in blackness. After a few minutes, her body collided with the ground, making an intense impact as she ceased her cries. For someone who was supposedly dead, it certainly made her body writhe in pain. Robin couldn't move. She lay alone in the darkness. The only part of her body she could move was her right index finger, which twitched and felt a familiar sensation.

_Grass._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter complete! I took complete liberty with writing this chapter. Sorry if you don't like cliches and whatnot, but this is how I pictured everything would go down. I think a lot of people overlook future Robin and forget that she was also Chrom's lover and had a life before Grima. Since Grima didn't come back in time to reunite with her in her timeline, she still has all of her memories, which I will save for a separate story another time. I feel like she is a separate being from the fell dragon because in Future Past, it seems like Robin had some control, though it was mostly dominated by Grima.   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter will also be pretty dramatic, so catch you later!


	44. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year has passed since the war ended. Chrom, though still depressed about not finding Robin, has a unique way of dealing with the hole in his heart. Lucina is two years old and the exalt has fared well, though he wishes above all other things to be with his beloved once more.

_Dearest Robin,_

The exalt started his letter in a similar fashion compared to his other letters. He sat on a desk in their bedroom, one that Robin had personally requested whenever she wanted to strategize new tactics or simply have a nice place to organize her thoughts. It was backed up against the wall opposite their bed, farther away from the balcony but close to a window so he could see the starry sky as he wrote by candlelight. With Robin's own griffon quill pen, he continued to write on the simple piece of parchment. 

_It's been a year tomorrow since you left. I miss you terribly._

_Since the last time I wrote to you, little Lucina has learned how to say "no" quite proficiently, especially when it comes time to eating vegetables and when she gets into trouble. When I tell her stories at night, many of them revolve around the battles we went through together - they revolve around you, like our first battle together, our fight against Gangrel... I've tried to give her an image of what her mother was like, even though she can't remember you too well. I can't stop thinking about you, no matter what I do. I know that you want me to carry on with a happy life, and I've been doing my best, but it seems so hollow without you with me._

_Does that make me selfish? Maybe you're in a better place, where you don't have to feel any pain anymore. I just wish I knew if you ~~were~~  are _ _okay right now._

_Lissa has come to visit us from Regna Ferox. Since she and Lon'qu were married soon after the war (which still makes me a bit uncomfortable), they've been living up north in Ferox. She seems to have adjusted more or less to the cold, but she being here makes it feel a little more normal._

The exalt paused before continuing. His heart pounded as he tried to figure out how to phrase this next portion of his letter. A tear strolled down his right cheek as he put the quill to paper once more.

_I'm beginning to lose hope. Everyone has given up on the hopes that you ~~would~~ could ever come back to Ylisstol. I've tried to maintain the hope, but it seems an entire year has beaten it out of me. _

His hand started to shake as he formed the next sentence.

_Something in me tells me you will come back, but I can't tell if that's intuition or merely wishful thinking. In the mean time, I'll do my best to rule Ylisse while raising our child without you at my side._

_Happy birthday, Robin. I love you so very much._

_I'll always love you,_

_Chrom_

With his last words, he folded the parchment twice, sticking it in a white envelope that he had prepared on the desk. Folding the flap of the envelope inside, he pulled the lid off of a box that he kept at the corner, placing the finished piece of work inside with the other letters he had written. He figured it was the only way he could fully cope with the loss because it felt like he could still talk to his beloved wife, though she wasn't around to listen. Pushing the box back into its corner after replacing the lid, Chrom got up from the chair and headed over to their bed, the only thing on it the pillows and blankets that never left.

After a while of simply staring at the ceiling from under the covers, the exalt finally managed to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It happened again - another dream of her. Though not happening every night, his dreams of Robin weren't exactly uncommon or surprising, especially the night he would write a letter to her. Regardless, this dream seemed different.

He was surrounded by darkness, the only thing he could see was Robin on her knees, coddling her head with her hands as if she were afraid. "Chrom, where are you?" she called out with tears running down her face. 

"Robin!" he called out with a mix of worry and joy in his voice. The exalt attempted to run over to her, but no matter what he did, he couldn't get any closer. 

"Where are you?" she cried once more.

"Robin, I'm right here! Look up! I'm right in front of you!"

She didn't seem to hear him. "Please don't leave me alone...please..."

Chrom became frustrated and angry that he couldn't reach her. He continued to run towards her, reaching out his arm in hopes to grab her, but she suddenly drew further away the more he ran. Eventually she disappeared into the darkness, leaving her husband all alone.

"She's gone...again," he cursed. Could he never be able to save her? Was this the curse he was burdened to bear? The exalt couldn't cry; he felt too weak to cry. Too weak and powerless. 

"C-Chrom?" a voice echoed from the darkness. The voice trembled with fear. "I-is that you?"

The young man looked up and around him, frantically searching for the owner of that voice. "Robin?! Robin!" he cried. "Robin, where are you?!"

"I...I don't know," replied the feminine voice. "It's dark and I can't move!"

Chrom didn't know what to do. He didn't know where Robin could be or if she could be alive. But he needed to help her, even if this was just a dream. "Is there anything that you feel? Any noticeable attribute around you?"

"There is...something. I feel...is it grass?"

 _Grass._  Chrom couldn't believe it. He had searched that field over and over again for the past year, but no sign of his wife. Now, there was the possibility that she was there, awaiting his arrival. He decided to place all of his faith that this dream could turn out to be real instead of just a figment of his imagination and the remnants of his deteriorating hope. "Robin, hold on; I'm coming."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Chrom awoke, he rushed to get dressed and raced to the main hall. "Frederick!" he yelled. "Frederick!" The knight, just as dependable as ever, was already awake and ready to complete any chore before the crack of dawn. He ran from another room, dashing to his lord worriedly. 

"Is there something wrong, milord?" he questioned sternly. Awakened by the sudden outbursts of her brother, Lissa came from a different hall where her bedroom was, still half asleep (and a bit grumpy).

"Chroooommm, what's so important? The sun has barely risen," she whined while wiping her eyes. She had taken the liberty of getting herself dressed in case there was an emergency. 

"Frederick, get your horse ready; we're heading out."

Not pushing his prince any further, the stalwart knight replied with a stern "Of course" and proceeded to run outside to grab his horse.

"But what about breakfast?!" cried Lissa.

"Already packed and ready to go, my princess," Frederick said. "A knight must always be vigilant and prepared in case of an emergency such as this."

"Wait for me, then! I'm coming, too!"

Chrom unintentionally ignored her as his mind and heart were set on heading to the field where he and his spouse first met.

Nothing was going to get in his way when it came to finding Robin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cheesy cliches, but it just had to be done. How else would Chrom think to find her in the field after a year away from her?   
> I hope you liked it. This wasn't my best chapter, I'll admit, but oh well. You win some, you lose some. I appreciate the continued support and hope that you will continue to read it through to the end. Thanks again, guys!


	45. Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After racing out to rely on a hunch and a dream that Robin was still alive, Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa find exactly what they were looking for.

_She's there..._

When the three companions reached the top of a nearby hill, a hooded figure lay on the field of grass below them. Chrom felt a sense of elation, a sense of intense joy. Could this have really been happening to him? Was she alive?

Unable to wait for his sister and friend to walk up the hill to him, the exalt began to race down the hill. The sun was shining brightly above them; it was barely in the afternoon when they reached the spot. A gentle breeze brushed through each blade of grass around his feet as Chrom ran down faster than gravity could pull him down. Attempts to keep himself from falling ended in failure as his back came in contact with the hill while he continued to slide down to its base. When he reached the bottom, he continued to run towards the figure that lay unconscious on the grass. 

"Robin!" he cried frantically, regaining his balance once he reached the bottom and as he dashed again. 

"Chrom, wait up!" Lissa called out while at the top of the hill.

"Be careful, Milord!" yelled Frederick. Lissa descended the hill more slowly, though still made it faster down than Frederick as he had to guide his horse gently down to the base. 

The young man didn't listen. He couldn't with the constant pounding of his heart that rang through his ears. He slowed down as he arrived ten feet away from the figure. Five feet. Three. One foot. Chrom had worried that this might have been someone else when he raced down the hillside, but seeing more clearly the cloak that covered the figure's body, he knew without a doubt that this was his Robin. Her face peered out from under the hood, her hair messily worn across her cheeks. Bruises and dirt were apparent on her neck and face, but she was still as beautiful as ever according to the prince. 

Chrom couldn't find anything to say. His heart was about to leap out of his chest when he saw Robin's features. All he wanted to do was wake her up, kiss her, bring her back home to Ylisstol, and spend the much desired and much earned time with her. The thought of finally being alone with his wife without any possible distractions for the first time in two years left his body nearly shaking with his excitement. He didn't know where to begin, though. Was she even still alive? Yes, she seemed to still be breathing. How would he wake her up? How would he bring her tired body back to Ylisstol?

Lissa finally caught up with her brother, out of breath from the sprinting she did to get to the position at his left. "Oh my gosh," she panted. "It _is_ Robin!"

"Yes..." he managed to choke out, barely containing his worry and excitement. 

"Chrom, we _have_ to do _something_."

While unconscious, the tactician could hear sounds around her. She started to feel the ability to move come back again. How long had she been lying there? She twitched her finger, trying to remember what it was like to move her body. _That voice...it sounds familiar._

"What do you propose we do?" a male voice replied to the childish feminine voice. He seemed...worried. Almost like he was in a panic, but trying to maintain his collected behavior. 

"I...I don't know!"

_I know that voice._

Regaining control of her body once more, the young woman opened her eyes, letting in the massive amount of blinding sunlight pierce her eyes. Once her vision adjusted, she saw two figures hovering over her, one a petite, childlike female with blond pigtails and the other a tall, sturdy, blue-haired, and handsome male. Both of them smiled as they saw her eyes open up.

"I see you're awake now," Chrom smiled, relieved that his wife was awake and well.

"Hey there," Lissa responded, smiling a bit awkwardly, but with the best intentions.

"There are better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know," chuckled the exalt. "Give me your hand." He extended his right arm to his beloved, awaiting her response. 

Robin felt that she was barely able to pull out a smile with her weakness, but managed to move her hand into the man's. With a great amount of force, he pulled her up with only a few inches of empty space between them. "Welcome back; it's over now," he managed to say. 

"C-Chrom..." Robin stuttered.

"You remember," replied her husband with a sigh of relief. He felt even more overjoyed to know that she didn't lose her memory again after the incident. "Robin...I--"

Before he could even finish his train of thought, the young woman forced herself to find the remaining strength to wrap her arms around his neck and forced his lips to meet hers. Their first kiss in a year, Chrom initially felt shocked at this sudden outburst of emotion coming from his wife, but began to feel the elation that always came with them showing affection. He slowly melted into their kiss, wrapping his left arm around her waist and his right arm on her back. They released seconds later as Robin released her grip and placed her hands on her husband's face. 

"It's really you, isn't it?" 

Chrom let out a brief chuckle. "I should be asking you that." Robin couldn't find anything to say. She was overwhelmed with joy due to the fact that her husband was standing in front of her, in the flesh. "But to heck with all doubt." This time, he forcefully pressed his lips to hers and proceeded to passionately kiss her while removing the hand from her back and replacing it on the back of her head. She proceeded to do a similar position with her fingers digging into his clothing.

"Eh-hem..." they heard Lissa cough from behind them. Slightly embarrassed at their sudden actions, the couple released each other and turned to face Chrom's little sister, while maintaining the sensation of touch by holding each other's hands. Frederick had arrived beside the princess, ready to lead the march back to the capitol. 

"Sorry to interrupt your 'intimate moment,' but we need to get going back to Ylisstol," said Frederick. "Robin's going to need to get used to living there again after being away for a year."

"A _year?!_ " the tactician cried out with her eyes widened in astonishment. "I was dead for a YEAR?!" She felt like she could cry at any moment. She missed her anniversary, her daughter's first steps, her first words, Chrom's birthday... 

Taken aback by his wife's sudden yell, Chrom tried uncomfortably to comfort her, glaring at Frederick for telling Robin the time she spent away from them. "It's fine, it's fine," he repeated to calm her down. Eventually both parties regained their composure. "We'll get you caught up once we reach Ylisstol. Everyone will be so glad to see you."

With Robin calmed down, she released Chrom's hand and came over to embrace the sprightly cleric, who hugged her back. "I've missed you, Lissa. Pranks and all." 

"Wait, what?" The exalt glared angrily at his sister, who shrugged it off with a smile. They released the embrace and Robin went over to the stalwart knight, hugging him as well.

"And you, too, Sir Frederick."

"Glad to have you back, milady." With his words, the tactician became faint and felt her body collapse from exhaustion. "Lady Robin!" Frederick cried.

"Robin!" Chrom raced over to her, helping her stand back up with the assistance of Frederick. Luckily the knight's arms caught her from completely falling to the ground. The young lord supported his wife by placing one of her arms around his shoulders and placing his free hand on her waist. 

"Now, let's go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter complete! I hope you enjoyed it! That's how I pictured the ending cutscene if Chrobin happened in game. Sorry if you don't like mushy stuff, but I suppose that's the whole point of the story, so sorry not sorry.   
> Feel free to leave constructive criticism and whatnot. Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	46. Coming Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin, after over a year, finally returns to her permanent home in Ylisstol. She reunites with all of her friends and family, including her daughter, now a toddler, Lucina. Her relief to be home at last is great, though her exhaustion prevents her from celebrating like she wanted.

Chrom held her hand steadfastly throughout their journey home to Ylisstol.

They had put her with Frederick on his horse so she wouldn't have to stumble her way to the capital after collapsing several times. The sun was setting fast, but Chrom didn't want to stop for the night if he could help it. It would only be another hour or two of walking, he thought. Lissa seemed to be more used to travel since the four's first journey to Ylisstol, and the exalt hoped that she would continue to be a trooper for just a while longer.

Robin took the occasional nap during the ride back, but never got a good rest in as she couldn't find a comfortable position on top of the horse. Her hand was locked in her husbands for long periods of time, which made her feel a bit more relaxed since it made her feel like she would never be parted from him again.

After another couple hours, right before the sun hid fully behind the horizon, they entered the Ylissean city. The stone walls around it were just as sturdy as ever and the cobblestone pavement made the horse's steps louder. Robin, with enough strength to not feel off balance, requested to be removed from atop the horse as soon as they entered the city. Hesitant at first, Chrom and Frederick helped her down and after a few stumbles from not being on the ground for hours, the tactician regained her composure and walked with the rest of the group.

Many of the townspeople were out and about, despite the fact that the markets were about to close. The sea of the commoners separated as the exalt pressed forward. "The exalt is back!" one person cried.

"And Princess Lissa!" said another.

"Who is that woman with them? Is it..."

"Lady Robin! Lady Robin has returned!"

After noticing that their queen had returned after over a year of absence, the crowd began to cheer. This brought a smile to Chrom's face, though a look of embarrassment from the woman next to him. Robin subtly buried her face into her spouse's left arm, trying to hide her most likely disastrous appearance. _I'm not prepared to meet the Ylissean people!_  worried the tactician. In a panic, she locked her hand into Chrom's who simply chuckled at her response. 

"See? Everyone's happy to see you," pointed out the young man. "You don't have to worry or be afraid."

Hearing his words gave her a little more confidence, prompting her to actually smile at the people and give the occasional wave. She heard many more comments directed at her, including words about her battle-torn appearance, her smile, and the fact alone that she was with the exalt once again.

"We're almost home," Chrom assured her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After another five minutes of walking up the paved hill, they reached the castle. The sight of the marvelous building provoked such emotion within Robin, it was hard to hold back tears. She looked up and saw the balcony hovering above where they stood; the place she was introduced to the people of Ylisse after she and Chrom were wed. _Home..._ Four years ago, the tactician didn't have a home. She simply traveled alongside her commander until he offered her residence, which eventually transformed into a proposal of marriage. 

While still deep in her thoughts, Chrom released her hand and turned to face her. "Wait here," he told her with a smile on his face and excitement in his voice. With those remarks, he dashed towards the doors of the castle, calling out for his sister to get the Shepherds to come. Robin didn't exactly know what was going on, though she stood there patiently until her husband would return. Frederick stayed with her to keep her company, though they had nothing else to say.

A few minutes passed and Chrom violently pushed open the large and extravagant doors and, while holding the doors open, turned his head back inside. "Come on out, there's someone I want you to meet."

Robin began to close the distance between herself and the exalt, ending when she was just a few yards away. _What's going on?_ she wondered.

No one came out. "Come on out," the young man prompted. "There's no need to be scared." From the shadows, a small hand grabbed Chrom's right pant leg, slowly revealing herself to Robin.

The tactician's eyes widened and began to sting from holding back tears. She pressed the tips of her fingers slowly to her mouth in shock. She knew this little figure. Dark, chopped, blue hair, the color of Chrom's. Glistening blue eyes, also like Chrom's. From a distance, Robin couldn't see it in her left eye, but knew it was there; the Brand of the Exalt. The little girl wore a tiny, light blue dress that reached her knees, puffing out near the ends with the white ribbon embroidered around the bottom. She also wore white tights underneath and little black slip-on shoes. A gold headband had been placed on her head, symbolic of the tiara she would someday wear like her future self. 

"Lucina..." the young mother managed to choke out. "My little baby..." Though she supposed she shouldn't call her a baby anymore; the little one could walk on her own and was more independent than the last time she saw her mother. 

Lucina remained unfazed by this strange woman and her tears. She felt a little scared since she didn't know who this new person was, so she wrapped her arms tightly around her father's leg. 

Slightly aggravated with her daughter's decision, Chrom tried to keep his cool and help Lucina become close to Robin. "Lucina, this is your mother." The said child looked up at her father in disbelief, though he continued to smile. He ran his fingers through her hair and touched her shoulder in reassurance while bending down to reach her height. "Remember all those stories I told you about Mommy?"

The little girl nodded swiftly, but it didn't help her get closer to Robin. Instead, Robin drew a little closer and descended to her knees, coming eye to eye with the little child. "Hello, Lucina."

The princess stepped back, burying her hands into her father's clothing. The tactician, though hurt that her daughter didn't recognize her or even seem to like her, understood why the child felt apprehensive. She had no leading female figure for most of her life, no real mother, but that didn't stop Robin from trying to have Lucina warm up to her. She gave her a warm smile.

The young girl slowly looked out from behind Chrom, noticing the friendly smile of the woman in front of her. She felt a strange connection with this woman, like it was someone she hadn't seen in a long time. Lucina knew how happy it made her to see her father after he made trips out to " try and find find Mommy," so maybe this girl was similar. Letting go of her fear and trusting her father, the toddler let go of him and ran into the stranger's chest, wrapping her arms onto her waist and digging her head in her chest. This woman put her arms around the girl in a similar fashion compared to how her daddy held her. Maybe she was a lot like Daddy. 

"Lucina..." the woman cooed, resting her chin on the daughter's head. The little girl could hear this woman's heartbeat. It felt so...familiar. 

Without even thinking, the girl uttered the first word her mother would hear from her mouth. "Mommy," she whispered. Her grip tightened. "Mommy!" 

"Lucina," her mother replied, allowing the tears to finally flow. "I've missed you so much."

The exalt smiled, finally feeling a sense of completion after what seemed to be such a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Family reunion time! I hope you enjoyed it!   
> I couldn't find anything on if a toddler would recognize a mother who's been gone for over a year, so I took the liberty of saying, "Yes." Chrom is really happy his family is back together (though it would be even better if Emmeryn was still with them, though that's for another time...).   
> Anyway, I hope that you continue to read because we've still got a ways to go before I end. Thanks for your support! Feel free to leave a comment or constructive criticism and whatnot, as always. Come again!


	47. Reunited at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many of the Shepherds who are at Ylisstol celebrate briefly the return of their old tactician. The true celebration is postponed as Robin still feels exhausted from the trip and it is as if she had just come out of the fight with Grima. She reunites with her future children, the adult Lucina and Morgan, who had stayed in Ylisstol to watch over little Lucina while Robin was absent. With saying goodnight to her children and her dear friends, she and Chrom head back to their chambers, where emotions are expressed.

"Oh, gods, I'm exhausted."

Robin had plopped down on the large bed against the wall, face first as her husband closed the door behind them. "Ohhh, sweet squishy blankets," the tactician muttered with her face still hidden within said blankets. "How I missed you so."

Chrom gave out a sweet chuckle, heading over to his wife and sitting by her limp body. He stroked her cloak-covered back as she lay in complete ecstasy and relief. She stopped her gleeful mumbles and gave out a sigh. Her husband couldn't tell if it was a sigh of relief or a sigh from a problem. "Is there something wrong?" he asked just in case.

"No, not really," Robin stated. "I just wish that it could be like this forever. You, me, Lucina as a toddler..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to sit back up. 

"Here." Chrom helped her roll over and he pulled her up from her back. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he continued, "Why don't you go take a hot bath to soothe the travel pains?"

"That'd probably be the best idea since I haven't taken a bath in apparently over a year..." The young woman felt extremely uncomfortable with the thought, but stood up with the help of her husband and walked over to the dressers across from their bed. She opened her drawers, relieved at the sight of her old clothes. She pulled out a pale pink nightgown with lacy sleeves that barely covered the shoulders. Wrapping it up and tucking it between her body and left arm, she grabbed some smallclothes from another drawer and a towel atop the dresser. 

The tactician turned around and saw that her husband had sat down on the bed again, smiling at her as she had rummaged around through the drawers. Heading over to him, she kissed his left cheek, following it up with a gentle brush through his hair with her fingers. "I'll be right back," she assured him, exiting the room, closing the door behind her, and heading just a little bit down the hallway. 

Chrom couldn't help but remember the incident of finding her in the bath while on the campaign against Plegia. Though it had been over three years ago and the two of them were married to each other for about as long, his face still flushed cherry red at the thought of seeing her so vulnerable. He shook his head while trying to get the thoughts out of his head. He got up and pulled out clothes of his own from his drawers, quickly removing his cape, boots, and other clothing and changing into a simple nightshirt and pants. With that done, he walked back over to the bed and fell on his back, all while staring at the ceiling with his arms behind his head and awaiting his lovely wife. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Chrom!" the exalt heard his name called out from the bedroom's entrance, though not in a threatening manner. Casually removed from his daze, he looked over to his right and suddenly felt blood rush to his face. Robin leaned against the door, wearing the nightgown, but had pulled the stretchy sleeves down to her arms and left some of her chest exposed. 

"Um, em..." Chrom struggled to find what to say. Robin drew closer while maintaining an air of elegance as she crawled onto the bed. Her hair was still a little wet, but the water mixed with her silver hair seemed to make it sparkle in the most beautiful way. Before he knew it, Robin had made her way to her husband, lying beside him with a sweet, yet seductive smirk. "Robin, what are you doing?" the exalt asked nervously. Her position had emphasized her assets and made the curves in her body more noticeable. She tilted her head a little more, giving Chrom the look that always drove him crazy. 

He could feel his heart pound, but knew he had to keep his emotions and passions under control. Robin had just gotten back from Ylisstol after over a year and the way she came back was as if she had just came out of the battle with Grima. The only thing she should have done was rest. 

The tactician continued to say nothing, but she brought her hand to Chrom's cheek, gently stroking it as she drew closer for a kiss. The exalt knew that if they kissed, it would all spin out of control and she wouldn't get the rest she so desperately needed but apparently couldn't see she needed. So he turned his head the other way. Confused at her husband's choice of action, she countered by climbing atop of his body, attempting her kisses head on. Her hair fell down on both sides of her face, touching the heated skin of her beloved.

 _Gods, curse it_ , Chrom thought. _Why did I have to fall in love with a tactician? And a stubborn one at that?_ Though he would never regret loving her, he did feel pressured and tempted. "Robin, please..." he begged.

After hearing the plea and the tremor in his voice, Robin stopped and pulled back. "Is there something...wrong? Am I not pleasing to you anymore?"

"What?!" he cried out, flabbergasted at her thoughts that she was no longer attractive in his eyes. "Gods, no! No no no no no. That's my problem; I don't want to be enticed tonight. I'm just worried about you. You still need your rest."

The young woman let out a brief chuckle. "Chrom, I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine."

"Are you though?" He motioned his head towards her left arm, which trembled as she tried to support her weight. "You barely have enough strength to continue..."

"Chrom..."

"Look," he said, pushing himself up and forcing her off of him. They both leaned on the headboard of the bed with their pillows on the bases of their backs. "I understand how you're feeling right now. Really, I do. I feel the same way. After not seeing you for a year, I just..." His voice trailed off, but he continued a separate thought. "I want what's best for you, and right now, that's sleep. Once you're all rested, then maybe..."

Robin smiled, letting out a snicker in happiness and pleasure. "Alright," she promised. "I'll sleep."

"Thank you." The exalt helped pull the covers from under her body and tucked her in bed. He did the same with himself, wrapping the blankets around his body. Beneath the covers, he could feel the warmth emanating from Robin as she still contained the heat of the bath she took not long before. Giving her a kiss on her forehead before she drifted off, Chrom whispered, "I love you, Robin."

 The young woman giggled while she closed her eyes. "I love you, too, Chrom." She was asleep within a matter of seconds, where the young man took a bit longer to drift off. He took in the day that the two of them had; he had his wife back. Nothing could threaten to take her away from him anymore. He wouldn't allow it. Closing the distance between the two of them, he said one last item to her before falling asleep.

"I'll always protect you," he claimed while drifting off into his unconscious. 

"Always."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go! Another intimate moment between the two. Like I said before, I will not write any graphic details on any thing they do intimate, so this is as close as you're going to get. I hope you liked it; there are still a few more chapters I have in mind as part of the main story, so if you came here looking for something not based off of the plot of the game, you've come to the right chapters! As always, feel free to leave a comment containing constructive criticism and whatnot; I love reading to comments and I'll always respond (unless you say you don't want me to respond). Thanks, guys! I really appreciate it!


	48. Tears by Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin spent the next day resting and visiting her old friends. Word got to Regna Ferox and began to spread to the continent of Valm, where the word would soon reach Princess Say'ri and House Rosanne, which included Virion and Cherche. The tactician, wary of the fact that future days may be filled with many meetings and reunions, spent the day resting up while catching up on lost time with her children.  
> That night, she wakes up with Chrom still asleep and decides to visit her desk and reminisce about the many strategies that were planned there. To her surprise, a new item had been left there and she begins to observe the contents of a box that had been sitting there.

After sleeping in until noon that day, Robin couldn't find it in herself to continue sleeping without doing something.

She awoke from her rest, still with Chrom's arm around her waist as he lay on his side facing her. The warmth from his uncovered torso pushed against the tactician's body. As much as she wanted to stay with him and be surrounded by his heat, Robin couldn't stay in bed for much longer without going crazy. After resting most of that day, she didn't need more sleep until she accomplished something productive. 

Without waking her husband, the young woman slid out from underneath his grasp and then the blankets, slowly letting her feet touch the ground. She headed over to the wardrobe in the corner, pulling out a white robe decorated with a drawings of purple flowers. The robe fell down almost to her ankles once put on and the arms of it were a little longer than the owner's.

Still trying to be as quiet as she could, the young woman lightly walked over to the desk opposite their bed. This was her desk, or at least that's what she liked to call it. She gently ran her fingers across the sturdy, smooth, elegant wood, remembering how often she would stay up at night and either strategize or form new ideas for the military. She quietly giggled at all of those memories where she would stay up too late and ended up falling asleep at the desk, waking up the next morning back in the bed. Chrom was always looking out for her, especially when she wasn't looking out for herself. Sometimes she wondered if she truly deserved someone of Chrom's caliber. She had put him through all of this trauma and pain; Robin felt like she had been gone for less than a day while Chrom was without her for an entire year. 

With a deep sigh, she sat down at the desk. The moonlight from the window in front of her allowed enough light for her to see her way around the bedroom without tripping. The tactician leaned her head on her hand, where her elbow was propped up on the desk's surface. Part of the castle courtyard loomed below her; this part of the courtyard was used for training the Shepherds a lot of times. As she looked down, she could see a new object sitting atop the desk on the right hand side. It was a box. 

Curious, she looked back at Chrom, who was still sleeping. Robin figured this was as good a time as any to see the contents of the box. A used candlestick sat by the fire tome she had put by it over a year ago. Though her husband couldn't use magic, it was always handy to light a candle at times like these and the best way was with a little magic. Squinting as she flipped open the book to see the dark writings, the tactician uttered a spell while pointing her index finger at the wick. When she was done, a spark shot out of her finger and onto the waxy string. 

 _At least my magic still works_ , she thought. Robin had worried that her magic ability would have been diminished or completely exhausted when Grima fell, but apparently it didn't. She covered part of the light to prevent it from going over to Chrom; lucky for her, he was a heavy sleeper. With lighting the candle out of the way, the young woman quietly pulled the box from the corner and brought it in front of her, removing the lid. She peered inside and was taken slightly aback by the sight.

Letters. Letters addressed to her. There were a few letters, possibly around six or seven, all addressed to Robin with her name scribbled on the front of each envelope. She figured that if they were addressed to her, she could read them, so she silently pulled out the envelope flap of the one on the bottom and began to read it.

The date was Chrom and Robin's anniversary. The first letter was written on one of the most important days of the year for the both of them. As she read through it, tears leaked from her eyes and fell down her cheeks. She could tell that Chrom was incredibly lonely during this time; he didn't seem like the loving, amiable, gallant young man that she knew and loved in that letter. He was struggling without her. He openly expressed his disapproval of her actions and anger that she left more than once throughout the letter. As much as it hurt her to read it, Robin could empathize with him and knew what he went through, but only on a much, much smaller scale.

 _Why did you go?_ he had written. _Why couldn't you have just kept your promise to me and stayed? Is it so hard to keep a promise, Robin?_ Though he ended with a "Happy Anniversary" and an "I love you," Robin was hesitant to read the rest of the letters. Going against her gut, she read the next bottom one of the pile. This one was dated at the beginning of the new year. 

His anger seemed either calmed down or very subtle. The young woman could tell that he still had a bit of a grudge, but it was mostly turned into sorrow by this time. In his letter, he blatantly apologized for his words in the previous letter five months prior. He stated that it took him a long time, longer than it should have, to forgive her and to forgive himself for letting her go. He once again wished her a happy new year and told her that he loved her.

Next letter: Lover's Day in February. He expressed his undying love for her in honor of the day and reminded her of the story of his proposal before Emmeryn's death. The exalt went on to write the events of that day, how he avoided her, and when she confronted him, how he felt an outburst of emotion when he confessed his love and his immense joy when she reciprocated his feelings. Robin gave a brief chuckle, laughing at his choice of words as they seemed not very poetic. It certainly was in Chrom's character to write something like that.

A few more letters later, she came across one that was dated two days ago. She opened it and read through it like she had done with the others. Not knowing why, the exalt's wife began to shed more tears than she had for the other letters. It was just as heartwarming as the others, but the fact that he had never given up hope when everyone else had had pushed her to crying rather than simply shedding a few tears here and there. 

Quickly placing the letter back in the envelop and back in the box, Robin replaced the lid, shoved it back into the corner, blew the candle out, and proceeded to remove herself from the room, all while maintaining as much silence as she could. As she closed the door behind her, the young woman slid down the door and fell to the ground, allowing the tears to flow faster. She got up and began to walk down the hall, praying that no one would notice her walking down the moonlight alighted pathways of the castle. With each bare step on the firm carpet, Robin could still feel tears exiting her eyes. Not in sorrow, but in joy. The joy in being loved, considered, and welcomed.

After all this time, Chrom had never stopped loving her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note - Since Valentine's Day was named after someone in our history, I didn't feel like it would be an appropriate name for the holiday in the Fire Emblem world. I don't know if a Saint Valentine existed in their past, but I think it's safe to assume that he didn't.  
> Anyway, I hope you liked it. More chapters will be coming out fast since I'm done with finals. Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave a comment and whatnot. I always enjoy reading them. Thanks again!


	49. Mother and Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin, trying to organize her thoughts, comes across Lucina about to leave Ylisstol for good. She talks to her daughter about it and finds out Lucina didn't leave yet because the tactician had been missing and Chrom needed as much support as he could get. A heartfelt conversation ensues and the two young woman express familial love. They each go back to bed, Robin returning to her husband's embrace.

Robin didn't know how long she had walked down the moon lit halls.

All of the halls seemed pretty much the same since before the war on Grima. The same velvet carpets, the same extravagant paintings on the walls. She walked down the couple of steps that mostly served as elegant decorations, leading down towards another fragment of the large hallway where many of the bedrooms resided. After walking a few more steps, the tactician arrived at her child's bedroom door. The doorknob had a little decoration attached to a string which was wrapped around the knob. She lifted up the decoration to take a better look at it; it was a little blue stained glass swan, probably one that her little girl picked out when out with Daddy. Chrom probably agreed to it not only to dote on Lucina, but to help train his daughter into remembering where her bedroom was.

The thought of her husband taking little Lucy out to the marketplace made Robin smile. As she gently released her grip on it, she could hear a familiar voice from behind the door. Curious and a bit worried, the tactician turned the doorknob slowly and calmly pushed open the door, peering into the little toddler's bedroom. Lucy's tiny bed was pushed into the corner where the said little girl was safely tucked into the bed, lying on her stomach as she slept. A wooden rocking chair had been pulled up to the little girl's bedside, the same chair that Robin had rocked in while getting her daughter to sleep as a newborn infant. Sitting on the chair was a familiar figure, one with a certain legendary sword laying on the floor right next to her. 

"I often wish that I could live like you," the voice whispered to the little girl as she slept. "Live with both parents without the chaotic future drawing near, never listening to the fell dragon's knell...I envy you. I wish I could have a childhood as happy as yours. Sadly, I can't stay here with you. It has been strange, being in the same household as my infant self. I had hoped that I could stay a bit longer to see you grow up, but that cannot be." Standing up and replacing Falchion back on her belt, the young woman knelt down and placed her hand gently on her younger self's back.  "Yours will be a happy future." With that said, the female took out a dark mask from her belt and was about to put it on as she turned to face the door, which was now opened widely.

"Mother!" Lucina cried out, but remained quiet enough not to wake her younger self.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" her mother retorted, arms crossed in front of her torso.

"Mother... You and I both know that I can't stay in Ylisstol. We've been through this conversation before and there's simply no way for me to be a part of your lives anymore."

Robin remembered clearly the conversation her daughter spoke about. How it wouldn't be right if the Ylissean people saw a woman with the Brand of the Exalt, who was neither the crown princess nor the wife of the prince. "Then why did you stay for this long?"

"It...it wasn't my intention to stay this long." She looked over at her little self, who remained sound asleep. Robin was glad that the little girl inherited her father's ability to sleep through almost anything. "After you...disappeared, I followed Father to Ylisstol and planned to leave then and there. I said my goodbyes, though Father convinced me to stay, at least until you came back."

"...You watched after little Lucy while I was away," stated the tactician. After having read the letters Chrom wrote to her, her heart swelled with appreciation for her adult daughter's sacrifice. If she had left before Robin came back, Chrom would have been even more devastated than he already had been. "Thank you, Lucina. I believe it helped your father so much to have you here to help with Lucy, among other things."

"Yes," the princess replied. "But that's all I was here for. Since you're here, you can watch after your daughter now. I must leave. If you'll excuse me." She walked towards the door. The queen didn't move. "Mother, please," Lucina sighed both in frustration and in sorrow. "It's what's best for everyone."

"Is it though?" Robin snapped back. She didn't move an inch and she maintained a stern expression upon her face. Unlike Chrom, she was very good at concealing emotion and appearing threatening when inside she was trapped deeply in emotional turmoil. "You said I have to watch over my daughter now. I don't think I can watch over you when you're away."

"Mother, you know what I meant--"

"Lucina, if you must go, I won't let anything stop you," Robin finally determined, moving to her right to make space for the princess to leave. "You are a grown woman now. You make your own choices." 

Lucina could hear her mother's voice crack from holding back tears. 

"Just know that I love you. I always have and I always will." The young mother attempted to let out a smile, but the length of time she could do it was shortened due to the tears rolling down her cheeks. So this is what it would be like to say goodbye to her little Lucy after she would grow up.

"Mother, I..." The princess's bottom lip began to quiver. Drops of salty water were released from her eyes as well, forcing her to look down in order to hide it from Robin. A distant, faint memory resurfaced itself. She remembered a time similar to this, where it was her mother who was leaving, along with her father.

"Do you really have to go?" she had said, not even ten years old. Her brother had been asleep since the couple had left in the middle of the night, just like Lucina was about to do. 

Robin had said the same words as the present Robin had to Lucina. "We'll see each other again," the woman had added. In a sense, they did see each other again, though on opposite ends of the battlefield when Grima had taken over her mother's heart. Luckily this wouldn't happen to her little self. Looking back up at her mother, she forced her trembling arms around her. 

She didn't say a word, but tried to keep her whimpers silent as not to wake the sleeping toddler. Lucina buried her head in Robin's soldier, with the latter carefully cradling her daughter's head with her other arm wrapped around the young woman's back. "I can't..." sobbed the princess.

"Shhhh, it's alright," reassured the mother. "You don't have to make a decision now. You may leave whenever you want but remember; you will always be welcome here. Ylisstol will be forever your home."

"Thank you, Mother. For everything." They released each other's grasp, looking over at the little toddler in the bed who began to squirm from under the sheets. 

"I suppose we should leave before Lucy wakes up," Robin suggested.

Lucina nodded and the two walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. They walked up the hall. Lucina stopped at a door up the little steps: her room. "Goodnight, Mother."

"Goodnight, Lucina." They gave each other one last hug. 

"I love you," whispered the daughter. 

"I love you, too." With another release, Lucina walked over to the door and entered her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. The tactician took the opportunity to quickly jog over to her and Chrom's bedroom, grasping the collars of her robe by her breasts as she hurried down the hall. She hoped that Chrom hadn't woken up yet; it was still dark, though sometimes he was prone to wake up in the middle of the night. 

She came to their door and she slowly opened it. Everything was just as she left it. Chrom was still lying in the same position with his left arm stretched over to where Robin had laid earlier. Smiling, she unraveled the sash around her waist, removing her robe from her body and dropping it to the floor as it fell from her arms. The woman tactically slid back under the covers and under her husband's arm. As soon as her body came in contact with his, she saw him writhe at the touch of her skin, though he didn't fully wake. A smile appeared on his face. Was he awake?

"Robin," he groaned, tightening his grip on the female. With the tightened hold on her, he intentionally (and quite possibly unconsciously) pulled Robin in closer, where their bodies touched. Since Chrom had stayed in bed longer, the tactician could feel much more heat emanating from his body than from her own. She didn't mind. She liked it when they were this close. Robin cuddled with him by nuzzling his bare chest as she could feel her exhaustion take over her. The young woman smiled and could feel her face heat up with a blush. 

The two of them stayed together for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter complete! We've reached 100 kudos and over 3300 hits!!! Thank you so much, guys! I hope you continue to enjoy it. We've got a few more chapters left and I hope you don't mind my headcannons and stuff. Please keep reading and I hope you like the rest. Stay awesome!!


	50. The Old Flame Dies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom, while looking for Robin, runs into Cordelia. He notices that she seems happier and acts less odd ever since she married Frederick, which makes her easier to talk to. He asks where Robin is and she tells him, happy for the two because their love is so strong. The exalt continues his search while Cordelia remains happy that she doesn't feel the unrequited love she felt before.

"Robin!"

Chrom walked around the castle halls, searching for his wife. "Robin!" he called out again. No answer. The young exalt had a question for the tactician regarding foreign policy and other issues he had to take care of as the head of Ylisse, along with the fact that he and some of the Shepherds would be leaving on one more quest after hearing about several remaining Grimleal on an island off the coast of Plegia. He had checked their bedroom, the halls, the dining area, the Shepherd's garrison, and pretty much everywhere else, but no sign of Robin. 

The young man sighed with frustration, placing his hand by his chin while thinking of places where she could be. He kept walking. "Where could you be?" he mumbled to himself. Nearing the giant doors that formed the entrance of the castle, he spotted a familiar female with long red hair. _Cordelia_ , he figured. _She may know where Robin is._ The young woman was fixing up the flowers that rested in water jars around the entrance. It was just like her to keep working, even though she was supposed to be taking it easy.

"Hey, Cordelia!" the exalt called out to the pegasus knight. The woman stopped and turned to see Chrom breaking into a light jog towards her. She jumped at hearing her name come from the lips of the prince, but she managed to maintain a casual appearance instead of freaking out every time she saw him. 

"Captain!" she replied, releasing the pot from her grip and made sure she calmly turned to face her commander. 

"Cordelia, there's no need to continue work when you should be taking it easy," he told her, removing the extra flowers from her stiff hands and placing them in the vase. They were white lilies that little Lucina had picked alongside her mother and her "big sister" (who was the Lucina from the future). The little toddler demanded that they be put in a jar with water.

"It's just putting flowers in the vase," the Shepherd laughed as Chrom finished organizing the flowers in an acceptable manner (without breaking anything to his joy). 

"You and I both know that once you get working, nothing will stop you, just like Frederick. You should be taking it slow."

"I would go crazy if I did nothing. You and I both know that."

The young man said nothing. He let out a chuckle. So did Cordelia. She seemed more...normal now. Ever since her marriage to Frederick, she didn't seem as jumbled and weird whenever around Chrom. It made the young lord more at ease and more comfortable around this particular Shepherd. He never did find out why she acted all stiff and a bit off, but he appreciated the fact that she was easier to get along with. 

All they did was give each other friendly smiles, until Chrom decided to break the silence. "How is little Severa doing?"

"Oh, she's doing just fine," Cordelia responded, motioning her hand down to her stomach which began to bulge from her red and white dress that was custom to fit around her pregnant belly. "It's strange that we know it's a girl and even her name." Frederick and Cordelia had a child come from the future with Lucina, her name being Severa. She was excited beyond belief to have her own child, just like Robin and Chrom had Lucina.

"Well that's good. And yeah, it does seem very strange..." The man let out a short lived laugh. "Are you doing okay? Did you need me to get you anything while Frederick is away?"

"Oh, no no, I'm doing just fine...but thank you." Normally Cordelia would have completely spazzed out at the thought that Chrom could help her or even _offer_ to help her. But Frederick was her love now. Chrom would always be her superior, but Frederick would always be her center. 

"Right..." Chrom added. "So do you know where Robin has gone?

The pegasus knight's heart sank, though she knew that he wouldn't have come just for her. It would have only been wishful thinking and fantasizing that led her to hope he came to visit her just for her. But that didn't matter now. Cordelia knew how much Robin meant to Chrom and would never have wished them apart. Even though she had loved Chrom before, he wasn't her entire world anymore. "Last time I saw her she was outside the garrison, training."

"Training?"

Cordelia nodded. Chrom didn't know why Robin would be out training, especially since there were no wars going on nor would there be any war in the future as far as Ylisse was concerned. "Well, I'll go see if she's outside. Thank you, Cordelia. Now if you'll excuse me." Chrom politely and swiftly bowed his head and exited through the doors in front of him, leaving the female by herself. 

She was happy she got to talk to the exalt, but also relieved that she didn't have to worry about impressing him anymore or worrying about his love. She knew that the prince loved Robin, her good friend. Cordelia would never wish harm upon the tactician; she wanted what was best for her and Chrom. Ever since Frederick declared his love for her, she could feel her infatuation with Robin's husband slowly die away. In a sense, she still loved him, but she loved Frederick so much more. 

The young woman simply laughed and continued about her business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for reading! Thought that a nice Cordelia and Chrom conversation was in order. Sometimes I wish they could support in game, but I'm usually fine with it.  
> Side note: I sometimes wish that Cherche came in earlier so Chrom could marry her. I mean, she's awesome and she would give Lucina 4 MORE STRENGTH. CAN YOU SAY POWERHOUSE LUCY ANYONE?  
> But I digress. Thanks again for reading and I hope you will continue to read. Sorry it's so long. I never intended it to be over 50 chapters long, but I guess someone had to do it. Just a few more chapters to go and then this major story will be over. I'll start another collection of short stories that have Chrobin and other pairings if you want. Stay tuned!


	51. The Pains of Not Expecting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom finds Robin, who's training like Cordelia had said. After finishing her session, she asks the exalt if he would join her for a walk before they leave for their next adventure. In truth, Robin has been masking her sorrow after seeing many of the Shepherds married off and having children of their own. The tactician along with her husband plan on having another child, but when will it happen?

"There you are!"

Standing twenty feet away, Chrom saw the tactician slashing a bronze sword through the air. He busted into a jog as he walked over to meet her near the Shepherd's garrison. Even though he called out her name, Robin didn't show any signs of hearing him. She kept on practicing new sword techniques all while focusing on her footwork. Occasionally she would slowly move her wrist to concentrate on how her next move would pan out.

"Hey, Robin," the exalt called out to her one more time as he came closer. Soon he was only three feet away. "Hey."

"Hello, Chrom," she replied without changing her focus. Another swing of her arm and blade. Her husband stood there, watching her movements until she would give it a rest and talk to him. A bit of time passed before he figured she wouldn't give up unless he intervened.

After she took another swing while moving her feet against her imaginary opponent, the young swordsman came up from behind her, grabbing her right hand with his while she still gripped the blade's hilt. Robin jumped slightly in surprise with his touch, but decided to go with it. "If you swing like this," the young man forced her arm to follow his while moving it at a slight angle from up to down, "you'll get more out of the attack. Your wrist isn't turned as much and it puts less strain on it."

Robin gave out a little giggle. She knew that her husband had always been the better swordsman out of the two of them. Chrom smiled. Normally she was teaching him things, which he always appreciated, but he cherished any moment he could help his wife. "Thank you," she responded. She relaxed her body and lowered her sword arm, turning to face Chrom. The tactician placed her sword on the ground, forcing herself into the exalt's arms. He cheerfully wrapped his arms around her body while she laid her hands on his chest. 

"We're leaving in a little bit," Chrom told her. "Thought I'd let you know if you still planned on coming." His smile still remained; when he had told her that remnants of the Grimleal had survived the year and were still performing human sacrifices on an island off the cost of Plegia, she told him that she'd come along, whether he wanted that or not. It was just like her to be so stubborn. He loved that about her, though occasionally it got on his nerves. A kiss was placed on her forehead. As he continued to embrace her, Robin rested her head on his torso and let out a deep sigh.

It wasn't like her content sighs, Chrom deduced. Something was wrong. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

She said nothing. Eventually she coerced herself away from the prince, looking back up at him. "Would you like to go on a walk with me?" Though posed as a question, he knew it was more of a request than anything. So he and the young woman began to walk away from the practice area together and out on the dirt path, neither saying a word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" Chrom questioned the tactician.

At first she said nothing, but since they were alone, walking through the castle courtyard, Robin responded, "It's only been a couple months since I came back, though it almost feels like I never left."

The exalt raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Is this about the whole Plegia thing?" 

"No, not really...though thanks for bringing that up." Chrom shrunk back into his place. Robin had been asked after only being in Ylisstol for a couple days if she would take the throne of Plegia. The country had been without a formal ruler for over a year, being only guided by a minister. Since the queen of Ylisse was the true blood daughter of the last king, Validar, she was the rightful heir to the throne. She hadn't made a decision yet, though Chrom wished she would reject the offer and stay in Ylisse. Robin assured him that if she did take the throne, she wouldn't have to leave very often, but the exalt didn't want to take any chances. 

"Then what is it?"

Her eyes wouldn't meet his. "It's just..." She tried to approach this delicately. "Many of the Shepherds are married and are expecting their first children. Cordelia is pregnant, Maribelle is pregnant, Panne, Miriel, Sumia just found out..."

"I see," figured out the young man. "Really? Sumia's pregnant, too?" 

Robin sourly nodded. Though Chrom had always denied he ever felt feelings for the pegasus knight, it still left the tactician secretly jealous. She had nothing against Sumia personally and wished her the blessings of happiness for her and Gaius, but she always felt uneasy when the timid woman and Chrom were alone together. She quickly let it go since Chrom wouldn't have meant anything by his previous statement; he would have said the same thing about another Shepherd. 

"Yeah..." She looked up at her husband, making eye contact this time. "I do want to have another child someday. You know that, right?"

"Robin, of course we'll have another child. We know Morgan has to be born, right?"

"That may have been true for whatever timeline he came from, but what if killing Grima stops me from having children?"

Chrom became even more puzzled by his wife's words. "Robin, what are you even saying right now? We _will_ have another child. You don't need to worry about it."

"I suppose... I just wish that we could have another baby like everyone else."

"It's only been two months since you got back. It's perfectly normal to not be expecting right now. You're still recuperating from the war and it's okay."

"Chrom, I don't think you understand."

"Lucina said Morgan was born when she was four, so there's bit of time before--"

"Chrom!" Robin interrupted. The two of them ceased walking instantly. The exalt's heart skipped a beat, but out of fear rather than being smitten by his wife. Rarely did she show her temper like this, but she must have been really frustrated. He knew it wasn't his fault - or at least all of his fault - that she was upset, but it still hurt him to see her like this. The look she gave him made his heart sink. He could see the disappointment in her eyes, the curve of her lips downwards as she began to frown, the water that began to form around her eyes. What's worse is that Chrom couldn't do anything about it. He couldn't just magically make her definitely pregnant this very instant.

"My gods, Robin," Chrom finally spoke, breaking the silence and shaking his head. "I do want to have another child, too. Really, I do. But right now, it just doesn't seem possible." Robin dropped her head towards the ground, disappointed and tearful. She wasn't expecting a sudden solution, but it still hurt to hear the words "not possible" come out of her husband's mouth. After seeing her mood sink below the ocean, the exalt continued, "I'm sorry that I can't provide everything you want. There's nothing I want more in this world than to see you happy and it pains me to see you so depressed."

Robin looked back up at him. "But for now, I need you to be strong," he added. "We will have a child, I promise you that. But until then, I need you to be strong. Can you do that for me?"

The woman nodded, coming in slowly for a hug, to which his arms wrapped around hers. "Thank you, Chrom...for everything." A few tears still escaped her eyes, but she still managed to smile. He may have been a big dork, he acted pretty clumsy, and sometimes lost his temper quickly, but he was Robin's adorable, loving, and affectionate husband. She wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. 

After a while of intimate embracing, they separated and looked at each other. "Are you ready to head out?" asked Chrom. "It's going to take a bit of time, but we should be back by the end of the year."

Robin nodded once more. 

"I'm ready for one more adventure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finished with another chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it. With all of the other Shepherds expecting their children, Robin feels kind of left out and remembers the joy of having her first child. I'd be sad, too.  
> Anyway, another chapter is in the works and their trip will either be skipped and mentioned or will be in a separate story. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned!


	52. Subtlety at its Finest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom and Robin journeyed to the island of Grimleal remnants, only to be astounded by the sudden appearance of Chrom's thought-to-be-dead sister, Emmeryn. As much as he was happy for her to be found alive, she remembers nothing of her past and has appeared to have a hindrance in speech due to the injury from the fall. After the Grimleal is taken care of, they return to Ylisstol to sort things out. Eventually, Emmeryn goes to live with Lissa in Regna Ferox to live her life as a normal woman, unable to return as exalt of Ylisse.  
> Almost a year has past since they left for their previous adventure. Chrom and Robin wake up together and get ready for another day.

"Chrom."

No response.

"Chrom, it's time to wake up," Robin said once more, gently shaking her sleeping husband. She had already dressed herself in a lovely red sundress, perfect for a nice, late July morning, its edges falling down to her knees, the neckline forming a heart shape around her breasts. Her bare legs were pressed against Chrom's side of the bed as she bent over the sleeping young man. "Chrom... Chrom! Chrom, wake up! We have things to do today!"

"Uhhhhhngggg," he groaned, still half asleep. Moving his head just a little, he ceased movements and sounds once again. The tactician stood up straight, folding her arms and sighing in frustration since he wouldn't get up.

"You're hopeless," Robin muttered under her breath. "Hmmmm..." She looked around the room for anything that she could use to wake her lethargic husband up. Her eyes lit up once she saw a glass half filled with water on their desk from across the room. Heading over to the desk and grabbing the glass of water she had been drinking from the night before, Robin walked cheerfully back to Chrom. With a devilish smile across her face, Robin slowly turned her right wrist, the contents of the cup slowly tilting towards the exalt. "Wake up, my darling," the lady teased, angling the glass even more. Eventually the water escaped from its container, each drop fusing with the others to create a small stream of water that fell across the exalt's face.

As the cold water pierced his skin, Chrom flipped his eyes open and instinctively raised himself to a sitting position. "GODS!" he cried out, not fully knowing what had happened. He moved his hand to his face, noticing that water had been poured onto his face. He knew exactly who did this. With a pout, he looked over at his wife, who hovered over him with a smile like sunshine. "Ha ha, very funny," grunted Chrom sarcastically.

"Good morning, sleepy head," casually greeted his wife. When Chrom was younger, he had always envisioned his wife saying that to him when he woke up. However, this dream did not include having water spilled on his face as a wake up call. He guessed that this was one of the "perks" of being married to Robin, the tactician. 

"I could always do the same thing to you, you know."

"That may be true, but you'd have to wake up first to do that." She moved her head closer so their faces were only a couple inches apart. "And you and I both know that whatever you do to me, I'll deal back thrice the amount."

"Is that so?" Chrom smirked. She nodded while raising both of her eyebrows. "In that case..." Without warning, he forced his lips upon hers, catching her off guard all while pulling on her waist to move her closer to his body. Eventually she ended up sitting on his lap, which was still covered in blankets, and returned his kisses.

 _It's just like him to do something like this_ , Robin thought as she went deeper into the kiss. Her hands were first on his cheeks, but shimmied their way around his back and the other side of his head. His hands made it on her waist. They were in that position for a few more seconds until Robin released. Chrom, a little disappointed, but still heavily breathing from the rush of ecstasy of that moment, smiled at her. 

"Well, that was one heck of a wake up call," he laughed. "How will you top that?"

Robin gave him a cocky smirk. "Oh, don't you worry about that. As a tactician, it's my job to answer such questions."

"Well, know that I'm _anxiously_ awaiting your response." He kissed her on the forehead. "Now, if you wouldn't mind getting off me, I'd like to get dressed and get to work."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 The rest of the day felt pretty ordinary according to Robin. After her incident with Chrom, she left him so he could have privacy in getting dressed, going over to little Lucina's room and finding the toddler wide awake and playing loudly with the various toys in the toy box of her room. As adorable as the little three year-old was, Lucina was very loud, messy, and extremely defiant when her mother attempted to take off her night clothes and put some clean clothes on. She wanted to keep on playing without the worry of having clothes on or off. 

Eventually, Robin convinced her daughter to come out of her room, the little girl bringing an overly loved stuffed rabbit with her as she tightly grasped its fading fuzzy arm so tightly. Though the tactician could have left Lucina in one of the castle's work staff's hands, she refused in attempts to regain her lost time with the little child. After over a year of staying back in Ylisstol, Lucina finally fully recognized Robin as her mother and began to love her as much as she loved her father. Robin would purposefully spend more time with the child in hopes that the toddler would feel like she never left. 

The two of them wandered around the courtyard, looking at the many various types of flowers that bloomed across the gardens. Lucina's favorites were the small blue ones, which she affectionately called the "baby flowers". Robin held her tiny hand with hers, feeling dejected because Chrom couldn't be there to join them. He was taking care of "official Ylissean business" as he called it, which mostly revolved around signing papers, hearing about meetings, and figuring out ways to better the country. Normally Robin, as the head tactician of the exalt, would stay at his side and support him with her suggestions, but she had chosen to take some of the days of the week off so she could spend them with their young daughter. If Chrom were really in desperate need of her assistance, she would never be too far for him to simply ask.

"Mama!" the little girl squealed, snapping the young mother out of her doldrums. "A budderbly!" The toddler pointed with her teeny index finger at an orange and black insect that used its wings to glide and land on one of the "baby flowers" Lucina loved. 

"Yes, Lucina, that's a beautiful butterfly, isn't it?" Robin bent down to her knees, coming close to her daughter's height and gazing at the marvelous insect that lay before them. Without thinking, the little girl cupped both of her hands and clasped them together where the butterfly had been, but it had flown away before being caught and thus leaving Lucina's hands without a prize. Laughing, the little girl chased after the insect's spastic movements, clapping her hands because she thought she could catch it that way.

Robin laughed. This little girl was the cutest little thing and was smart, in her own way and for her age.

_Too bad Chrom isn't here to see this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more done! Just a few more! I'll make the Emmeryn story a separate one. Sorry if the last part of the chapter is a bit weird. I was super tired when I wrote it and I hadn't planned that part. I just needed some filler because the actual planned part wasn't as long as I had hoped.  
> Anyways, I hope you liked it and thanks so much for reading! Stay awesome!


	53. Just Desserts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom and Robin finally get some alone time at the end of an exhausting day, though they are soon interrupted by an unexpected guest. After a bit of time passes, the couple soon resumes their time together and enjoys every moment of it.

"He's not here yet..."

Robin sat on her side of the bed, her knees lifted up as her feet sat parallel to the bed's surface. A candle had been placed on the nightstand that was flickering as the only light source in the bedroom. She sat straight up against the headboard, one of her old tactics books resting in her hands as she glanced through its pages. Though the tactics were useless now that the wars were over and peace was brought back to Ylisse, it brought the tactician great comfort to read them over to keep her mind stimulated. However, she couldn't find it in her to focus on her book. Closing the book, she leaned over by the nightstand and placed it on the other side of the candle.

"Where is he?" she muttered to herself. She turned her gaze over to the window to her left, where the balcony stood. The curtains were pulled to the side so she could watch the moon rise over the night sky. It was really late and she hadn't seen her husband since she woke him up that morning and it was getting close to midnight. Sometimes he would work long hours going through political meetings, but this one seemed to take a lot longer than normal. It was worrying Robin. 

The young woman hadn't gotten ready for bed just yet, her red sundress still tightened around her torso and the bottom on top of her knees while exposing the bottoms of her legs. She had spent the day with Lucina, alongside with the future Lucina and Morgan. It was really nice to have older children to help out with the younger ones, even though Robin was still young herself and had enough energy to spare to take care of a single toddler by herself. She had put Lucina to bed a couple hours ago and still eagerly awaited her husband so she could sleep as well.

Her private thoughts were interrupted with the sound of the bedroom door opening and soon closing. Robin moved her head towards the sound, a smile forming across her face. Her favorite blue haired prince had come back, though he seemed quite exhausted from the day himself. After closing the door behind him, Chrom let out a long desired and a buried up sigh. He turned around to see his wife sitting on the bed, still in her lovely dress. A little smile formed on his face, though not as large as it usually was after seeing his wife stay up to wait for him. 

"Welcome back, Chrom," greeted the young woman.

"Thank you," he breathed, heading over to the bed and taking a seat by her feet as she pulled her knees in closer. 

There was a brief pause before either of them spoke. "How were the meetings?" Robin asked sincerely. 

With the thought of that, Chrom buried his head in his hands, slowly rubbing his temples with his index fingers in order to prevent another headache from coming on. "Gods, don't get me started on that."

"Well, what happened?"

"We discussed on what will happen to Plegia, since you refused the throne." Robin's face lowered as she felt her heart sink. It was as if she had caused her husband to have such a rough day. "So for now, we're turning the power over to a parliament until a proper leader can be found."

"I see..."

"But that's over with now," said Chrom, leaning over towards his wife while lifting up her head with his right index finger. "How was your day?"

Robin couldn't help but manage a smile. "I watched our daughter today, Lucina and Morgan walked with us..." Her voice began to trail off as the exalt unconsciously drew closer to her. The tactician could feel her heart pound as her breathing quickened.

"You look beautiful, especially in that dress..." Before Robin could figure out a quick response, the couple had locked lips; Chrom had positioned himself at an angle above the young woman as she slowly leaned back to leave room for her husband to continue to kiss her. After the first few seconds, the kiss became more passionate. The prince slowly moved his hands up to Robin's shoulders, gently pulling down the sleeves of her red sundress and leaving them below her shoulders. The two released, both parties feeling the large amounts of rapture and euphoria as they embraced. 

Chrom instinctively headed down her neck, kissing its nape as Robin closed her eyes and her hold on him tightened. She loved it when he did that and he obviously knew that. After a few more seconds passed, the young woman reopened her eyes. As she regained her sense of sight, her eyes widened at the sight she beheld by the door.

"Lucina!" she cried. Chrom, hearing her exclamation, quickly pulled away from his wife's neck, twisting his body to face the opened door with the little toddler standing by it. "I thought you locked the door..." whispered the worried tactician.

"I didn't know that we were going to do this tonight," replied the exalt while barely moving his lips so their child wouldn't hear. Thank the gods they were still clothed.

"Daddy, what are you doing with Mommy?" questioned the little child innocently. She simply stood there with her little feet pushed together, her night clothes separated into a long-sleeved, white shirt and a bottom pair of blue pants that was big enough to begin to cover her feet up. In her hands, she held a little book she had eagerly awaited to listen to her father read aloud.

 _How to explain this delicately_ , Chrom wondered in a bit of a panic. "Well, I was--um, hmm--"

"Telling Mommy a secret," rescued Robin. 

"Yes, I-I was telling Mommy a secret."

The little girl tilted her head, believing her parents' words, but wondering what kind of secret they could have been hiding. "What kind of secwet?" she asked, still a little suspicious of the two of them (and still having trouble fully enunciating her r sounds).

"Well, if I told you that, it wouldn't be a secret now, would it?" Chrom replied, proud of himself for coming up with something he deemed as so clever. "More importantly, what are you doing out of bed? It's way passed your bedtime and I thought Mommy took you to bed."

"But you didn't wead to me," answered the little girl, holding the book out in front of her body. "I stayed up waiting for you to wead to me like you always do... And I wanna know a secwet! Why can't I know, too?"

Chrom looked over at Robin with a smile, standing up and joining Lucina by the door. He knelt down to meet her height. "How's this: I read to you, you go to bed, and I promise to tell you a secret first thing tomorrow. Does that sound good?"

Lucina paused, contemplating on the offer. "Do you pwomise?"

"I promise." The little three-year-old giggled in complete joy as the young man grabbed her hand, leading her out the door. Before closing the door behind them, Chrom turned his head towards his smiling wife, giving her a playful eye roll and smile as his daughter forcefully pulled him out. The young woman, left to herself once again, laughed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took around ten minutes before the young man returned. He carefully closed the door, Robin seeing his finger run across the door's lock. Turning to face her, he let out a deep sigh and walked over to his wife. "I'm so sorry about that," he announced as he stood over the young woman, who sat on the edge of the bed now with her legs dangling from the sides. "I completely forgot that Lucina gets very upset if I don't read to her and today was very busy and--"

Before he could finish, the tactician swiftly placed her arms on his back and fiercely brought him to her body, all while passionately pressing her lips with his. Because of his surprise, Chrom found himself on his knees, hovering over the beautiful young woman. When they released, Robin saw that Chrom was still surprised with the initial shock of being pulled to his knees.

"Sometimes you talk too much," teased the young woman. 

"Wow, you really do deal back three fold."

"Of course. Now..." Robin gripped Chrom's tunic tightly, about to force him to kiss her again.

"Where were we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this one is a bit longer than the others that I've written. Once again, nothing explicit in my writings and kissing is pretty much all you'll get.  
> The next chapter involves a headcanon that I've had for a little while, where Chrom tells Lucina a secret, just like the older Lucina told Chrom he did in their supports.   
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading thus far. I'm almost done and then I'll do a separate work with a bunch of little Chrobin short stories.


	54. Secrets of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucina wakes the royal couple up, demanding that Chrom keep his promise to her from the previous night. He does, showing her the maple grove from the courtyard. At the spot is a familiar accident, though it ends up being a connection with his daughter.

Chrom groaned in frustration as he heard the constant knocks on the bedroom door.

"Daddy!" a little cry was heard from the other side of the locked door. "Daaaaaddddyyyyyy, wake uuuupppp!" Lucina kept on knocking.

"Your daughter wants you," muttered Robin with a grin on her face as she continued to rest in bed. 

"Five more minutes," the young man mumbled while turning onto his left side. "The sun hasn't fully come out yet anyway."

"Daddy, you pwomised!"

The young father's heart sank. Though he wanted to sleep more, he knew that he had to keep his promise to his little daughter. She was out there, waiting for him to fulfill his end of the pact they made the night before. Reluctantly, Chrom forced his exhausted body to rise out of bed while his wife continued to lie down on his right. He scooted his legs out from under the covers and stretched his arms before standing up. The relatively cold air pierced his bare torso, forcing him to shiver as he continued to the dresser across their room. 

After dressing himself in his blue tunic and pants, he tightened his boots around his legs; the two of them would be heading outside for the secret he was going to tell her. He headed over to the door, where the knocking had slowed, probably because little Lucy was tired of knocking so much. The exalt unlocked the door and opened it, revealing the eager little girl standing in front of him. As soon as she saw him, she began to grin uncontrollably. 

"Daddy!" she exclaimed with her arms extended. The toddler princess still wore her night clothes from he night before. She wrapped her arms around her father's leg, gripping it like a hug. The father smiled and gave a mild chuckle.

"Ready to go?" he asked his daughter. 

"Yeah!" she laughed. Lucina peered behind his leg and waved at her mother, who was still lying in bed with the sheets tightly gripping her body. Robin smiled and gave the little girl a tiny wave of her hand. "Bye bye, Mommy! See you soon!" Chrom waved to her as well, all while trying to walk as Lucina continued to hold onto the leg of the exalt. After closing the door behind him, Chrom headed out towards the princess's room, telling her that she needed to be properly dressed for the secret he was going to tell her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Where are we going, Daddy?" the little girl's voice chirped as her hand was clenched in his. They walked around the outside of the castle, under a stony ceiling with columns supporting it as they continued to walk towards the courtyard. 

"You'll see," Chrom replied, amused with his daughter's chipper attitude. 

They walked onto a dirt path, leading further into the courtyard. Many well-trimmed bushes covered the area, along with a few maple trees that they would occasionally play around. A long and tall stone wall created the barrier that prevented outsiders from coming in (and the baby princess from getting out). This was their maple grove; sometimes Chrom would practice with the Shepherds here and help train some of them. 

Lucina's little black shoes clacked every time she took a step, including once they reached the tallest maple tree. Her father had dressed her in a light blue dress, short sleeved for the hot weather coming up. The sun hadn't fully risen yet, though the light it brought from beyond the horizon still made it easy for them to locate whatever they needed. "Now what?" demanded the little girl once they stopped in front of the maple tree.

"Here." Chrom motioned her to move alongside him, slowly moving over the roots of the large tree and around it. He picked Lucina up when the roots were too big for her to walk over and eventually they made it behind the tree and to the corner of the stone wall. "This is our little secret."

"What is it?"

The exalt directed her to come over to him, right at the corner of the perpendicular sets of stone walls that met. Though the maple tree's massive amounts of leaves on its long branches covered the corner, vines were still allowed to grow in hopes that it would better conceal the actual surprise. He pressed the back of his hand up against the vines, removing them from the hole that was revealed. Little Lucina came over and, with her father's help and support, peered through the hole. Its edges were broken, as if by force, and it was big enough for her to fit through it easily. The stones were cracked around it, a sign that it had been bashed into. 

"This is a secret entrance, in case you would ever need to escape or enter the castle in an emergency," Chrom told the little girl as she continued to marvel at it. She could see the city of Ylisstol beyond her from looking into the hole. "I accidentally bashed into this wall while training with the Shepherds." Little Lucy knew of the Shepherds; she knew that they were Mommy's and Daddy's friends and that their children were her friends (although they were a good deal younger than she). 

"This is just between you and me, Lucina," whispered the prince. "This will be our little secret." He gave her a wink as if sealing the deal.

Lucina's face lit up. So did her father's. He was glad to see that he succeeded in making his daughter happy. "'Kay!" she cried out, giving Chrom a little salute. 

"Alright, now let's go back to the castle." Chrom placed his hands under the little girl's arms, lifting her up and placing her on his shoulders as they exited the maple grove. She squealed in excitement, leaning down to kiss the top of the young man's head.

"I love you, Daddy." Chrom smiled.

"I love you, too, Lucy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's one of my many headcanons! I hope you liked it. That's how I imagined Lucina finding out about the maple grove's hole where she entered through in Foreseer.  
> Just a couple more chapters and we will be done! Feel free to comment and whatnot - I enjoy reading comments. Have an awesome day; you deserve it!


	55. My Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many months have passed and now Chrom and Robin have time to themselves. With his wife very pregnant, the exalt decides to take her out to the outskirts of Ylisstol where they can avoid the stress of ruling a country, however temporary.  
> Within two weeks, Robin goes into labor and little Lucina gets to meet her little brother, Morgan. She instantly loves him and vows to protect him, even though she's only four years old.

Not a single gray cloud desecrated the crystal blue sky.

It was a fine April afternoon. The wind calmly blew across the exalt's face as he raced up the grassy hill in excitement. His smile widened as he saw no one at the top that overlooked the capital. Finally, a nice relaxing time with his wife. The past couple months had been very straining, both on him and his wife, though under different circumstances. 

"Chrom, a little help please!" called out the tactician from halfway up the hill.

 _Oh, gods_ , Chrom thought, forgetting that Robin wasn't beside him as he was lost in his elation. Without a second thought, the exalt swiftly turned around and headed down the hill, meeting up with the struggling woman as she trudged up the angled surface. Normally she would have already been up to the top, but due to her--

"I am SO sorry," apologized Chrom, briskly placing his right hand around Robin's waist and her arm on his shoulders to hold her up properly. 

"It's fine," she laughed while panting from near exhaustion. "I'm still alive."

Chrom smiled. _At least she's in a good mood today._ The day before had  _not_ been pleasant for either of them because she wasn't fully pleased. The two finally made it to the top of the hill, where a little flat spot covered the rest of the curvature of the hill. The young man led his wife over to the center, helping her to sit down while he lowered himself with her. He gave a huge sigh once they had sat in their comfortable spots. Robin cuddled up with Chrom, laying her head on his shoulder while placing her farther hand on his chest. Chrom, in turn, rested his head gently on hers. Neither of them said a word for a bit of time. The only sound heard was the wind blowing into their ears along with the birds chirping as they flew overhead. 

"How's Morgan doing?" the exalt asked, pressing his right hand on the woman's fully expanded belly. Usually Robin rubbed it, but when given the chance, Chrom would as well. After hearing his name, the little baby gave a little excited kick, allowing his father to feel it press against his hand. Chrom smiled brightly with excitement. Even though he was already a father, the thought of being a father to another child within the next week thrilled his heart. 

Robin removed her hand from his chest, sliding it down his arm and ending at his hand. "He's still kicking, though sometimes harder than I would like," joked the tactician. Her face, though still expressing joy, turned more solemn. "I do miss the future Morgan, though."

"I'm sure he's doing fine," assured Chrom. Morgan had journeyed to Plegia to help rebuild it and be a part of the ruling council with the possibility of becoming the next king of Plegia. He was the son of Robin, so he would have the right to the throne if he so desired. As an aspiring tactician, helping out with the reconstruction of the fallen country would be a great place to learn. "After all, he's your son."

"And Lucina?"

"She should be doing fine as well." The future princess had assigned herself to travelling the world, helping not only Ylisseans, but to those who need her help wherever she traveled. Before the woman left, Robin made her promise that she would keep in contact with the exalt and his queen regularly, with promises to visit when in the area. This didn't stop Robin from worrying about the both of them. "Hey. It'll be okay." Chrom bent over and kissed her cheek, eventually moving to her lips as she returned the favor. After their kiss, the tactician continued to snuggle with her husband. The two of them spend the next hour together, talking and enjoying their free moments together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Daddy, is Mommy gonna be okay?" little Lucina worriedly questioned her father, who sat next to him in a room across the hall from the birthing room. The two of them could hear the cries of pain the labor was putting Robin through. Her right hand was forced into Chrom's left while she held her fuzzy rabbit in her other hand, gripping it extremely tightly with every scream of her mother. The room wasn't decorated; it was simply a white room with wooden chairs lined across the walls, meant for awaiting the birth of an Ylissean royal. The chairs were too tall for Lucina's feet to touch the ground, so they dangled there as stayed perfectly still. 

Chrom looked down to see his daughter with a frightened look on her face, a tear streaming down. "Hey, it's going to be alright, Lucina," he said, clenching her hand with more force in reassurance.

"She doesn't s-sound l-like it," the little girl hiccuped. After a few more minutes, the screams and wails ceased, only to be followed by the cries of a newborn baby. Lucina's face lit up, though she was confused at the new sounds that came from the room across the hall. She could hear her father sigh with relief. "What happened, Daddy?"

He didn't say anything at first. Instead he stood up and lifted his young daughter from the chair and onto the floor. "Did you want to see your new little brother?" She nodded, still unsure of what he meant by that, but trusted her father's judgment and grabbed his hand as he led her out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Congratulations, my lord," the nurse told him as he entered the room with his daughter. "It's a boy."

 _Of course he is_ , Chrom wanted to tell her, though opted not to. Instead, he went over to his wife, who lay in the bed against the back wall of the room. Robin's arms were wrapped around a little bundle of blankets, its contents slowly squeaking weakly. "Hey," the exalt greeted her, kissing her cheek that dripped with sweat. She smiled. He turned his gaze towards the little newborn in her arms, whose head was visible around the blankets that covered him. "Hello, little Morgan!" he cried in a whisper, stroking his cheek gently with his right index finger. His wife gently handed him the baby, where he could look at him in awe and love up close. 

Lucina stood behind her father, unsure of what was happening. Her mother looked very tired, but her father looked extremely happy. Chrom turned and looked down at Lucina. "Did you want to hold your little brother?" The girl nodded, not really knowing what it meant. "Here." The exalt helped her sit on a chair that was strategically placed at Robin's bedside, kneeling down and gently helping the princess know how to hold the baby. With her father's help, she supported the baby's head with her left arm and the rest of his body with her other arm. She could see the little tufts of blue hair on the top of this infant's head. On his right hand was a brand just like hers. He was just like her, she decided. The four-year-old fell in love with this little boy at first sight. He was so cute and chubby, how could she not?

"Hi, Morgan," she greeted. At the sound of his name, he let out a little squeak, which turned into a short-lived cry. "Shhh, don't cry. It's okay. Big sister is here to take care of you." Eventually Morgan calmed down and was handed back over to his mother. Lucina still hovered over wherever she could to look at the little baby as she was mesmerized by him. "I'll protect you," she declared fervently. 

"I'll always be there to keep you safe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My gosh, I can feel my creative juices failing me. This fanfic needs to end. I am sad that this didn't go all the way like I expected, but I hope that you still like it. I think there will be one more chapter and then this GIANT work will be done. After that, I'll write other Chrobin short stories and whatnot.  
> Thanks again!


	56. Epilogue: True Love Never Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three years have passed since the birth of Morgan. Chrom and Robin reminisce on the memories of the past, all while watching their children play with those of the other Shepherds. They realize that even though they've been through so much together, this was only the beginning of the rest of their lives together.

"Morgan, get off!"

Lucina, the now six-year-old, pushed her little brother off of her after he tripped and landed on his sister, making them both fall onto the grassy ground. Both Robin and Chrom kept a close eye on the both of them, along with the other "Junior Shepherds". Cynthia and Owain were playing their game, Justice Cabal, with the toddler Morgan occasionally participating when his attention span allowed him. Gerome and Laurent, though quiet, played with drawing materials and paper instead of running about and acting crazy like the other children. Severa played with Lucina, Brady and Kjelle were arguing, Nah sat by a tree and tried to be mature by reading a book, but really she was just looking at pictures in a picture book, and Yarne ran around as Inigo chased after the "bunny". 

"Morgan, Lucina, be careful!" Robin called out with a tint of worry in her voice. She knew that they would be fine, though that didn't help her with her stay completely calm. The woman sighed, knowing that her words were empty and that the two children wouldn't listen to her. "Those children of yours..."

"Don't forget; they're yours, too," said Chrom with a sarcastic smile. The arm he had placed around her waist tightened and pulled her closer to his body. Robin looked up at him when he smiled. It had been ten years since they met in that field. Chrom was technically a grown adult male now, so he looked a little bit different than he had when they got married. He looked more matured and toned compared to his teenage self, though Robin still found this attractive. 

To Chrom, Robin had changed in appearance as well. Whether it was the ten year difference, the two pregnancies that widened her hips, or simply both of them, the exalt still thought of her as a beautiful woman. He saw her smile widen across her face as she leaned her head against his chest. The couple sat on an extended cloth on the ground in the courtyard as the children played. 

"So much has changed since we first met..." Robin said, her voice slowly drifting away.

"Yeah," was all that her husband replied.

"Chrom." He looked over to her. "Do you really think we've changed the future for good?"

The young man felt confused. "Where did this come from?"

"I was just wondering... Sometimes I still worry that something terrible might happen that we won't know about, some other evil or destruction." Her gaze turned to her two children, where Lucina was acting more in charge of the other children since she was the eldest and Morgan followed her around like a lost puppy. "I don't want them to have to go through a desolate future with no hope. They deserve better than that."

"Robin, you above all others should know the answer to your question. The future has been altered, Grima is dead thanks to you, and our children won't ever have to worry about the fell dragon's resurrection."

"It's just like you always say, I suppose; anything can change." 

He nodded his head in affirmation. "So answering your question: yes, I do believe we have changed the future. And I'm glad that you're a part of this new future. After all, we are two halves of a greater whole."

His words always gladdened the tactician. They really were meant for each other, it seemed. Robin couldn't imagine her life without him, especially due to her continued amnesia. As the years went on, her questions about her past began to fade. Her alternate future self was right; she had lived a while without knowing her past, so she could continue living without every answer. After all, she now had a bright future to look forward to.

"Speaking of change, I do have something I wanted to mention to you before too late," the young woman said to her husband.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Robin, slowly angling her way up to Chrom's hear, placed her mouth right by it, so no one would hear the surprise she had for her husband. 

"I'm pregnant."

~Fin~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND WE'VE FINALLY REACHED THE END!!!  
> Thank you all for reading all of my story. I honestly didn't plan to get this far and half of the stuff I made up while in the middle of writing. I know that the story began to lag some more towards the end, but that's mostly because I have been excited to do a spin-off work, which focuses more on the life of Chrom and Robin before their married life as this work was aimed more at their love life.   
> I will add a headcanon or two in a separate work about events after this story. I might do other couples' stories, but we'll wait and see. One of my separate works will be about the alternate Robin and how she met Chrom and all that.   
> Thanks so much for reading. I truly appreciate it and it was your support that kept me going and seeing this through until the end. I honestly probably wanted this story to be over with just as much as you guys, so please forgive me for dragging this out for too long.   
> LONG LIVE CHROBIN!!


End file.
